Israeli Forces Raid ISM Office
[Beit Sahour, Occupied Palestine] Israeli forces raided the ISM office this morning, confiscating equipment and material
and snatching three women. At 12:30pm on Friday, May 9, approximately 20 military vehicles, army jeeps and a large
armored personnel carrier (intended for many arrests) surrounded the ISM media office in Beit Sahour.
Dozens of soldiers, border police and civilian police officers raided the ISM office, confiscating all computers, not
only in the ISM office but in the nearby office of the Palestinian Centre for Rapprochement. Files, CD, and photos were
all pillaged, while soldiers broke equipment and damaged office space. Israeli forces kidnapped Palestinian volunteer,
Fida, American volunteer, Flo, and a worker with Human Rights Watch visiting the office.
At the time of this writing, Fida has been released, and the internationals seem to have been moved to the office of the
Israeli Ministry of Interior, most probably for deportation.
The Israeli government has declared an open war on international peace and human rights workers. Israeli forces are
doing everything in their power to specifically prevent the nonviolent resistance to their military rule. The stepped-up
harassment of internationals and journalists in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is nothing short of a further
attempt to shield from the international community the brutality of daily Israeli military actions against the
Palestinian people.
The ISM, however, has no plans to leave the Palestinian areas nor to reduce our actions or our efforts. We need your
help. Please protest:
In the US: Contact your congressperson, the State Department and the White House using this link. http://www.cflweb.org/congress_merge_.htm or http://www.congress.gov Also call the State Department and demand action. STATE DEPARTMENT 1- 202-647-5150
For UK, Please call THE FOREIGN OFFICE 020 7008 1500, Also Contact your MP and Prime Minister
For Israel Contact Israeli Minister of Interior, Tel: +972-2-629- 4701; Fax: +972-2-629-4750 Israeli Foreign Minister,
Silvan Shalom Fax: +972-2-5303704 e-mail: sar@mofa.gov.ilIsraeli Defense Minister, Shaul Mofaz Fax: +972-3-6916940,
6976990 e-mail: sar@mod.gov.il Prime Minister Ariel Sharon fax: (+972-2) 566-4838 or 651-3955 or 651-2631
For Canada: Minister of Foreign Affairs Bill Graham, House of Commons, Ottawa ON K1A 0A6; Fax 613-996-3443
Everyone, Contact the Israeli embassy in your country
See our website: http://www.palsolidarity.org for more ways to help or get involved.