Australian organization urges pressure on Israel for detaining civilians
Lebanon-Israel-Australia, Politics, 12/8/1998

The Australian organization to defend South Lebanon and the Western Bekaa has called upon US President Bill Clinton and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to pressure Israel to release Palestinian and Lebanese detainees held in Israeli jails.

During the solidarity day with the Arab and Lebanese prisoners in Israeli jails which was held on Monday in Sydney, the organization called on Clinton and Annan to condemn Israeli practices against Lebanese and Palestinian civilians, Israel's kidnapping of 21 Lebanese citizens and 180 Palestinians and holding them in its prisons as leverage for bargaining.

The solidarity day was attended by the Australian organization in Defense of South Lebanon and its Western Bekaa, the chairman of Amnesty International in Australia, media officials at the UN in Australia, the organization's chairman Khudr Saleh, and representatives of the Australian government and Australian and Arab deputies and figures.

Meanwhile, an exhibition of photos and posters on the prisoners was opened. Documentaries revealing the suffering of detainees inside Israeli jails and al-Khiam prison were screened. Messages read were sent by prisoner Samir Qintar from inside Nafkha prison in occupied Palestine, and from freed prisoner Suha Beshara.

Solidarity speeches and poems were read respectively by brother of Lebanese prisoner Mustafa al-Deirani and by Australian poetess Ann Farbren.

Previous Stories:
  Report: Israel considers striking Lebanese infrastructure   (11/30/1998)
  Britain for supporting negotiations on Syrian and Lebanese tracks   (11/30/1998)
  Israel studies withdrawal from south Lebanon   (11/30/1998)

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