Israeli army raids peace camp, arrests 4 peace activists

Wednesday July 09, 2003 01:00 by IMEMC & Agencies

the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), in the village of

Ghassan Andoni - IMEMC, July 09, 2003 An Israeli army unit raided the tents of a peace camp, initiated by the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), in the village of Arbounah near Jenin in the northern West Bank. Four ISM peace activists were arrested. The ISM spokesperson reported that Tariq Laboni from Canada, Fredrik Lind from Denmark, Bill Caposki from the United States, and Tobias Karlson from Sweden were arrested from inside a tent in the peace camp. ISM in cooperation with local Palestinians established the peace camp in the village of Arbounah to protest the construction of the apartheid wall. A press release issued by ISM on Tuesday stated: “The Camp is set up in the path of the construction of the so called security fence, or a more fair description, the apartheid wall.” The press release added, “Our goal is to keep a camp in the area for at least the coming months and to work together with the local community to obstruct and delay the construction work.” Arbounah is a village with around 900 inhabitants. According to the village council, in 1967, 2000 dunams of land were confiscated by Israel. The same source reported that the plans to construct the “apartheid wall” would cut off another 800 dunams of the village land. After a series of incidents in which ISM activists were killed or seriously injured, the Israeli Defense Ministry announced that it would arrest and deport any international with relation to ISM. Last April, the Israeli army chief of staff said, “All ISM activists who are here will be arrested and deported and ISM activists will be denied access to Israel.” July 1st, ISM announced a new campaign, “Freedom Summer.” According to ISM activists, dozens of peace activists from different countries are joining the announced campaign, which will focus on the “apartheid wall.” Last April, American ISM peace activist Rachel Corrie was killed while trying to stop an Israeli Army bulldozer from destroying a Palestinian home in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. ISM witnesses claimed that the bulldozer driver intentionally crushed Rachel. The army closed the investigation file in Rachel’s case claiming that the driver did not see her. British ISM peace activist, Tom Hurndall is clinically dead after being hit in the head by a bullet fired from an Israeli tank while attempting to protect a Palestinian child from the army line of fire.

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