Online donation system by ClickandPledge

Palestinian Cartoon

Palestian Prisoners in Israeli Jails

user preferences

  • Language - en

Palestinian Journalist harassed on his way back from a Europe tour

author Monday June 30, 2008 04:00author by George Rishmawi - IMEMC News Report post

Palestinian journalist Mohammad Omer, from Rafah, was harassed by Israeli border Authorities on his way back from a speaking tour in Europe.


Mohammad Omer receiving the Prize in London (Wafa News Agenecy)

Upon arrival to Jordan, he was informed by the Dutch embassy that he is not welcomed in Israel.  However, the Dutch embassy coordinated his entry with the Israeli Authorities and thus he proceeded to King Hussein terminal on Thursday.

Israeli border police stopped him and detained him for interrogation, Omer told IMEMC over the phone that he was beaten by the Israeli intelligence officers.  He also said that the officer asked him, “Why did you come back?  we allowed you to leave because you, like other Gaza youth, dream of leaving the Gaza Strip.”

“Why do you leave a good life like in Europe, to come back to Gaza, there you have water and electricity and many things that you do not have in Gaza,” the officer said.

Omer, who was hardly talking on the phone, as he was tired, told IMEMC that he was humiliated by the intelligence officer because of his “writings that expose Israel's aggression against the Palestinian people.”The main purpose of Omer's trip to Europe was to receive an award he won for his articles that he writes from the Gaza Strip.

Omar won "Martha Gelhorn Journalism Prize 2008" for articles he published in the Washington Report magazine, describing the hard living conditions the Palestinian people are facing due to the ongoing siege on the Gaza Strip.

Omer was also invited to speak at the House of Common in the UK and other parliaments in Europe.<br /><br />

The "Martha Gelhorn Journalism Prize 2008" is a prestigious award founded by Martha Gelhorn trust.  British journalist Robert Fisk, was awarded the same prize in 2002.

Gelhorn is an American novelist, travel writer, and journalist, considered to be one of the greatest war correspondents of the 20th century. She reported on virtually every major world conflict that took place during her 60-year career. Gellhorn was also the third wife of American novelist Ernest Hemingway, from 1940 to 1945. At the age of 89, ill and nearly completely blind, she ended her life by taking a poison pill.

Omer is founder of Rafah Today, a website that includes images and reports from the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah.

category gaza strip | human rights | news report author email george at imemc dot org
This page can be viewed in
English
The International Middle East Media Center is running an URGENT online fundraising campaign.

Click here to donate online via Click & Pledge.
You can divide your yearly donation into monthly installments, deducted from your bank account.
Your HELP is essential to keep the IMEMC
A FREE and INDEPENDENT MEDIA SOURCE
Recent Articles about Gaza Strip Human rights

Patient Kidnapped At Erez Terminal Jan 24 12 by Palestinian Center For Human Rights

18 January 2009: The Abu Rujailah family Jan 19 12 by Palestinian Center For Human Rights

Second Death Sentence in 2012 Issued in Gaza Jan 19 12 by Palestinian Center For Human Rights

Follow imemcnews on Twitter

The tweets listed in the feed below represent the point of view of their authors only, and not the official stand of IMEMC.

toolbar powered by Conduit
© 2001-2012 IMEMC News. Unless otherwise stated by the author, all content is free for non-commercial reuse, reprint, and rebroadcast, on the net and elsewhere. Opinions are those of the contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by IMEMC News. Disclaimer | Privacy