Palestinian activist Jamal Juma' (right), Coordinator of the Stop the Wall Campaign, and Australian Bridgette Chappell at a press conference in the offices of the Alternative Information Center in West Jerusalem on 10 February (photo by Sergio Yahni, AIC, 2010).
SOURCE: The Alternative Information Center (AIC)
“The Israeli people must choose: either the fulfillment of Palestinian national and human rights or a continuation of international condemnation, marginalization and boycott against Israel.” So said Palestinian grassroots activist Jamal Juma’, Coordinator of the Stop the Wall Campaign at a press conference today (10 February 2010) about Israel’s escalating campaign against Palestinian grassroots and international solidarity activists. Convened at the offices of the Alternative Information Center (AIC) in Jerusalem, the press conference was conducted jointly by Stop the Wall and the International Solidarity Movement.
Juma’, who was recently released from Israeli prison following a one month detention for which charges were never filed, detailed Israel’s serious escalation in attacks against Palestinian grassroots activist since the beginning of 2010: over 40 activists have already been detained since 1 January, about half of whom are children. “This is not disconnected from Israel’s other occupation policies in the West Bank and East Jerusalem,” noted Juma’. “The ethnic cleansing in Jerusalem, where against 15,000 Palestinian homes Israel has issued demolition orders. The almost nightly raids by the Israeli military in so-called Area A.”
In response to the question of why Israel is targeting civil society activists now, Juma’ said that “Israel wants to silence the voices of Palestinians and international solidarity activists. It mistakenly believes that by attempting to destroy Palestinian civil movements, that the Palestinian people will accept Israeli political conditions. However, more and more villages are joining the popular resistance movement as a result of the Israeli crackdowns.”
Juma’ further added that the Palestinian Authority must decide “what it wants. In order to begin negotiations, the PA should demand a total freeze on settlement construction and an international guarantee that any future agreement will actually be implemented, unlike the Oslo Accords and the Road Map. Juma’ believes the PA still hopes that international pressure will influence the current Israeli government, but added that “the PA will be embarrassed as this will not happen.”
Also speaking at the press conference were international solidarity activists Bridgette Chappell and Ariadna Jove Marti of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM). Chappell and Jove were illegally detained by the Israeli army in Ramallah and released on bail earlier this week.
“We are not breaking any laws and are standing in solidarity with Palestinians in a non-violent and legal way,” said Chappell. “The ISM media office in Ramallah was raided by the Israeli military last night at 3am, which was the second raid this week,” added Chappell. “The Israeli army clearly has no regard for the Oslo Accords and Area A, which is under full Palestinian control. These raids and arrests are meant to intimidate and harass us, to stop us from bearing witness to the Israeli human rights violations that help perpetuate the occupation,” stated Chappell. “However, it won’t work.”
Chappell and Jove believe their pending case before the Israeli Supreme Court will take 3-4 weeks, while they are also appealing in the Jerusalem District Court against the ruling that they are not allowed into the West Bank.
Attending the press conference were representatives from the Spanish and French consulates. Jove praised the support she has received to date from the Spanish Embassy and Consulate, while Chappell reflected that assistance from the Australian Embassy has brought up questions concerning Australia’s close relations with Israel.
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