Israel prevents the European peace convoy for Palestine
Israel-European Union, Politics, 7/22/2005

Some 140 international activists representing "The Convoy For The Sake of Palestine" started an open protest in al-Hajaj city near Alenbi bridge which links Jordan to the West Bank, demanding the Israeli authorities to permit them enter the occupied Palestinian territories.

The activists were banned from entering Israel after they were detained and interrogated for nine hours. The Israeli authorities stamped the passports of 65 of them preventing them from entering Israel for five years.

Rasheed Sky, a member of the convoy said "the Israelis divided the convoy to two parts on Wednesday and permitted one part to cross while they misstreated the other part." He added "some members of the convoy were beaten and treated harshly and returned back to Jordan."

Director general of the Jordan's Establishment for International Development which organized the convoy's events in Jordan, Imad al-Fuqahaa, said that the activists who entered the Palestinian territories returned later to the Jordanian side in solidarity with their colleagues who were prevented from entering the Palestinian territories.

For his part, the spokesman for the Israeli ambassador in Amman Jacob Rabber said "It was clear that the activists planned to make provocations." Adding "each and every country has the right to decide who enters its lands." The European convoy whose journey is 4482 kilometers, included 50 cars, started from the city of Strasburg, the capital of the European parliament. And crossed several European cities including Geneva, Polonia, Ankona, Parta, Athens, Saloniki, Istanbul, Ankara and the two Syrian cities of Aleppo and Damascus heading for Jordan in its way to occupied Jerusalem.

It is presumed that the convoy will visit the Palestinian territories to carry out certain activities including protest in front of the wall of separation and the Israeli jails.

Previous Stories:
  Two Palestinians killed by Israel in Jenin   (7/20/2005)
  Palestinan Media Center: Israel extra-judicially killing of a Palestinian; cancels contact with PNA   (7/14/2005)
  Qurei: Israel's decision is 'theft in broad daylight' of Palestinian land   (7/12/2005)
  Signs of Israeli-European crisis following contacts with Hamas   (6/17/2005)
  al-Rai al-A'm: EU hasn't taken procedures to stop Israeli racial wall: parliamentarian   (6/9/2005)
  Al-Arabia: Otte calls on Israel to stop aggressions on palestinians   (4/13/2005)
  Solana holds Israel responsible for violating the Roadmap   (3/26/2005)
  European MP condemn Israel's cruelty   (10/15/2004)
  Israel rejects European accusations over Rafah aggression   (5/21/2004)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search