UK Peace Campaigners set to Face Christmas in Israel Jail

|TOP|An Italian peace activist was hospitalised this week after he refused to be deported as he worked in Israel, report the Palestine Campaign.

Vittorio Arrigoni, 34, was injured after the Israeli authorities tried to forcibly deport him and two other UK residents, according to an Israeli lawyer, Gaby Lasky.

He was returned to the detention centre at Tel Aviv airport, and all three are being held after they were refused admission to Israel to attend a conference in Bethlehem. It now appears as if they will spend their Christmas in an Israeli jail.

The three are experienced peace activists, report the Palestine Campaign, and were on their way to the “Celebrating Non-Violence” conference that will commence on Dec. 27th in Bethlehem.

|AD|However, when the three tried to pass through Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv on December 20 the authorities detained them.

Speedy work by an Israeli lawyer meant that the three were not able to be forcibly deported immediately, but they must now wait for the outcome of an appeal hearing. However, this hearing will not be able to take place until Christmas Day at the earliest.

The three had previously worked as international observers in the Palestinian territories, and all are members of Access for Peace in the Middle East, a pressure group that intends to challenge the criminalisation of peace workers and the deliberate isolation of Palestinians from international observation and assistance.

Robin Horsell, a UK-based South African who formerly campaigned against apartheid gave his reasons for fighting deportation: “Israel gives spurious grounds for deportation or refusal of entry. But the real reason is our support for human rights and justice. We hope this legal challenge sets a precedent that in future will allow international citizens full access to Palestinian lands.”

Many prominent peace campaigners support Access for Peace in the Middle East including Jews for Justice for Palestinians, Non-violence International, Clare Short, George Monbiot, AngieZelter, Jeremy Hardy and European Jews for a Just Peace.