Friday, July 8, 2011

#Airflotilla | Overview #Palspring

 Via @occpal..

#Airflotilla | Overview

July 6, 2011 by occupiedpalestine Comments Off
SPECIAL TOPIC
Continuous updates
Update 1: As reports fly in, activists can’t fly out. It seems the Israeli occupation has extended itself even into European airports. Below a compilation os incoming news,live updates from the ground, photography & video (links)
Update 2: people to welcome and recieve the activists are held outside BenG Airport & no entry. 2 lawyers are now in Ben Gurion working for #palspring
Update 3: Live pictures & updates from Paris | France
FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES FROM TWITTER ON THE TRENDMAP: #AIRFLOTILLA

July 8, 2011 | Woman at At Paris Airport holding a sign: "Checkpoint Israel" (Photo by Abu Nawfal )

Fly-in Organizers

PNN – Palestine News Network – 06.07.11 – 12:44
“We strongly stress that we campaign for a just peace and for the freedom and security of both the Palestinian and the Israeli people”
Bethlehem – PNN – As nearly 600 international activists from all walks of life gear up for Friday fly-in protest to Tel Aviv airport, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu along with Police Inspector General Yochanan Danino and Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch toured the airport on Wednesday morning to discuss preparations to counter the protest.
On Wednesday organizers of the Campaign “Welcome to Palestine” which include 40 Palestinian and international organizations issued a press release saying that there aim is to show that Palestinians are still under Israel’s occupation.
“The aim is to show that, if our governments do not seem to be interested in the fate of these people who have been under occupation for far too long, there are men and women from all countries, who are ready to bring them moral support, using a week of their holidays to go and meet them,” said the press release.
Sami Awad, Director of Holy Land Trust, one of the local NGO’s organizing the campaign, told PNN that “Welcome To Palestine” is based on the faith in nonviolent resistance and it’s important for activists not to use violence against the Israelis when they arrive.
“There are several measures they (activists) will take in the event of harassment by the occupation forces, such as solidarity sit-ins, not adhering to orders and refuse to travel, without any use of violence,“  explained Awad.
So far, according to organizers the fly-in includes 350 French citizens in addition to Belgian, British, German, Italian and American participants.  The itinerary, if activists go through Tal Aviv airport, will include  particular exchanges with the Al-Rowwad Centre of the Aïda refugee camp (Bethlehem), help with olive tree planting around Ramallah, also a solidarity visit to the organizers of the Jenin Freedom Theatre whose manager, Juliano Meir Khamis, was brutally assassinated recently.
Israeli Army Radio reported that keeping the airport functioning as usual will be the most important goal for security officials as activists arrive, most of whom will likely be difficult to identify. During a meeting with several heads of Israeli security services at the airport Netanyahu said, “Every country has the right to prevent the entry of provocateurs into its borders.”
“We strongly stress that we campaign for a just peace and for the freedom and security of both the Palestinian and the Israeli people. Such a peace necessarily means the end of the occupation of the Palestinian Territories and the respect of international law. There are many Israelis who share this point of view,” the organizers stated on Wednesday.
The plan, say the organizers, is for activists to arrive in Tel Aviv and state clearly they are coming to Palestine and then join the activities.
“All the participants decided of one accord that, having nothing to hide, and coming with totally peaceful intentions, they would inform the Israeli authorities of our wish to go to the West Bank immediately after our arrival at Tel Aviv airport.”
In past years Israel used to deport, deny enter, or restrict visa time to internationals that work, live, or visit the Palestinian territories in an attempt to illegalize the visit of those areas or the interaction with Palestinians.  The Israeli army controls are borders crossing into the West Bank and the only way to fly in is via the Tal Aviv international airport since the Israeli army destroyed the only Palestinian airport located in the Gaza Strip back 2002.
Fadi Yakub, PNN Editor, contributed to this article.
Source







Special Focus



LIVESTREAM
According to this webpage, tomorrow July 8, 2011 there will be a LIVESTREAM of the events at BenGurion, we doubt activists or press will succeed or be allowed in streaming but hence, give it a try


VIDEO

In Media/Blogosphere
From History


More information
English articles and stories on the event:


Other related websites/links:

IMPORTANT INFO ON DENIAL OF ENTRY

All  denied entry need to get in contact with http://www.righttoenter.ps/
Campaign for the Right of Entry/Re-Entry to the oPt:
Tel—970-(0)-59-817-3953 Fax—970-2-295-4903
email: info@righttoenter.ps Website: www.righttoenter.ps
*If you arrive at an Israeli port and are denied entry you may have the right to appeal the denial. In order to appeal, you should express your desire to do so to the Israeli authorities detaining you and immediately call a local lawyer to process your request and to guide you through the next steps. If, before your departure you fear being denied entry upon arrival, it may be helpful to pre-arrange your arrival details with a local attorney who will be anticipating your arrival and can immediately act on your behalf. Please note that these instructions are for informational purposes only and are not provided as legal advice.
CoGAT
main contact person for entry permits to faculty members with foreign passports is Major Wahel Tafesh (רס”ן וואהל טאפש) 03 697 7577 or 0506 234 056.
His fax numbers are 03 697 6307 and 03 697 5177. Please be sure to put his name in large script at the top of any fax. An entry permit application consists of a letter of appointment (in either English or Arabic) signed by the appropriate university official, plus the passport number and nationality of the applicant.
Colonel Shlomo Mukhtar ((אל”מ שלמה מוכתר can be contacted for issues that Major Wahel Tafesh is unable to resolve. His phone number is 0506 234 042.
General Yossef Mishlav ((אלוף יוסף משלב can only be reached via his secretary.
Her name is Or (אור).
Her phone number is 03 697 5351 and her fax number is 03 696 2757.
The CoGAT operations room (open day and night) can be reached at 03 697 7624.
My understanding is that it is manned by junior people with limited authority but they can always reach Major Wahel Tafesh of Colonel Shlomo Mukhtar.
Emergency humanitarian matters are taken care of by 02 9977733 (day and night)
Legal
Jerusalem Legal Affairs Center
Jerusalem—972-2-627-2982, 627-7624 Ramallah—970-2-298-7981, 295-9260
email: jlac@palnet.com Website: www.mosaada.net
For a list of lawyers active on the issue, please contact the RTE coordinator at info@righttoenter.ps.
Al Haq
Tel—970-2-295-4646/9 Fax—970-2-295-4903
Email: info@alhaq.org Website: www.alhaq.org
PNA
For those trying to renew through the PA MoI during the strike: Contact Ahmad Safi head of the ‘foreign passports sector‘ 0599.366820. Use only in case of real need, not for general info pls.
PA Ministry of Interior
Ahmed Safi visa extension 0599-366820
PA Ministry of Interior offices:
Minister
——–
Tel: +970-2-240-9873- 4
Fax: +970-2-240-9872
West Bank
———
Tel: +970-2-240-9874- 6
Fax: +970-2-240-9870- 1
Al Irsal Street
POB 641
West Bank Offices: (Telephone)
———— ——
Al Bireh : +970-2-295-5883
Abu Dis : +970-2-279-9074
Bethlehem : +970-2-277-0745
Dura : +970-2-228-0013
Hebron : +970-2-222-7634
Jenin : +970-4-243-8312
Jericho : +970-2-232-2230
Nablus : +970-9-239-8606
Qalqilyah : +970-9-294-2754
Al Ram : +970-2-234-7511
Salfit : +970-9-251-5656
Turkarm : +970-9-267-4090
U.S. contact numbers:
For those arriving at the Allenby Bridge: 02-622-7250 (outside of business hours).
Those entering through other Israeli ports should call 03-519-7551.
Israeli contact numbers:
Beit El, Eyam at 02-997-7774 (Arabic only)
1) The Israeli Army (IDF spokespersons office: Brig.-Gen. Miri Regev: 03-5692466, fax: 03-5692074; or Foreign Press Branch Maj. Avital Leibovitz: 03-6080238, fax: 03-6080300; The army‘s bosses: Ministry of Defense: 03-6975546, fax: 03-6977285).
2) The District Coordination office (coordinator of activities in the territories), Foreign Relations Branch: 03-6977622/ fax: 03-6967976. Family unification requests do go through this office! (not foreign passport holders – this is where it gets muddled)
3) According to the DCO, Foreign passport holders go through: the Office of the Central Command (02-5305724/fax: 02-5305398). The girl there says that they can only help people when they already have a tourist visa, and for that people should turn to the Ministry of Interior (but she admits that “the ministry of interior has a problem with Palestinian tourists.” and ” that it started because of the hamas government, that Israel doesn‘t have anyone to work with.”
4) Ministry of Interior (Sabine) (02-6294722/ fax: 02-6701628): Sabine says that western passport (US, europe) holders automatically get a tourist visa when they enter the country. I said: but if people say they go to the territories they are not being let in,
should they lie about that? She says that that is the people‘s own business. If you can‘t get a tourist visa while getting in: you should get it from the Israeli embassies abroad.
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