[News] Kate Raphael update

[News at freedomarchives.org]

From: katrap at mindspring.com
Reply-To: katrap at mindspring.com
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 00:45:09 +0200 (GMT+02:00)

Your support still urgently needed

Dear everyone:

Update about my case follows, but I promise you will break out in a painful
rash if you do not read the main message first.  And act on it.

My friend Ayad Morar was arrested in his home in Budrus at 2:00 a.m. last
night.  He and his brother Naim were both dragged out of bed by six jeeps of
soldiers.  When an Israeli activist called the DCO this morning, he was told
they were arrested because they "belong to an anti-Israeli organization."
Yet Ayad is someone who has had Israelis sleeping in his home, and said to
them in my presence, "This is not my house.  It is your house."  I have to
say that I was waiting for this to happen, because the Israeli army has
openly stated that they will do everything in their power to crush the
resistance in the village.

This is the second recent arrest for Naim, who was held without charge for
ten days until midnight January 11.  Now he is again in administrative
detention.

Their brother Abdelnasser is already in jail, having been held now for over
two weeks, along with three others from their village, in Ofer military
prison.

All three brothers are leading activists and organizers of the nonviolent
resistance to the Apartheid Wall.

While I was in jail I wrote in my journal, "Ayad is an organizer of
spectacular talent."  He has brought together all the factions not only in
his village, but in a nine-village region, to support one another in
nonviolent resistance.  He has made it a priority to curb stone-throwing and
to teach kids to distinguish between Israeli people and the Israeli
government.  Even before my arrest, he made me feel that I am an adopted
sister of their family.  (Unfortunately, now I am a sister in exile, as
Budrus is one place I cannot go right now, for fear of being rearrested and
deported.)

My friend Dorothy Naor wrote to her list:

"The only kinds of Palestinian protestors that the present government favors
are violent ones--suicide bombers and the like.  They serve the purpose of
the government, which can then shout “Terrorism,” misleading the world
to believe that all Palestinians are terrorists.

"Non-violent protest, by contrast, is a threat to the Israeli government,
because it reveals that by no means are all Palestinians or even the
majority of Palestinians violent.  Yet, Palestinians have a responsibility
to non-violently demand that they have rights, that they must not be trodden
upon like mud, that the world recognize their plight.

"THE LIVES OF THE MEN JAILED ARE AT STAKE.  Prisoners can be held on
Administrative Detention--i.e., can be held for 6 months without being
charged and without trial, and the prison sentence can then be rolled on for
years and years, as has occurred with many Palestinians held on
Administrative Detention. "

I can tell you from personal experience that when you are in prison having
outside people calling and writing to get you out means everything to you.
For Palestinians it also can mean the difference between being severely
beaten and being only slightly abused.  Clearly, the Israeli government
wants to send a harsh message to the villages, and I really believe that
Ayad's life could be in danger, if we do not act quickly.  PLEASE take a
minute to call or fax to demand their release.

The seven men held in Ofer are:

Ayad Ahmad Hussein Morar
Na'eem Ahmad Hussein Morar Morar
Abdelnasser Ahmad Hussein Morar
Abdelrahim Omar Mustafa Awad
Abdelrahman Omar Mustafa Awad
Hamzi Omar Mustafa Awad
Mustafa Sami Mustafa Awad

In addition three others were arrested over a month ago, and are held in
Ketziot (in the Negev).

Defend the right of Palestinians to protest in defense of their land.
YOUR CALLS REALLY DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.  Call or fax today to demand their
release:

Ofer:  (972) (0)2-588-4204 or 588-4348; fax 588-4379
Ketziot:  (972) (0)8-650-6715

For more info on the situation in Budrus:
http://www.womenspeacepalestine.org/budrus.htm

My situation is also questionable, although not dangerous like Ayad's and
Naim's.

Yesterday, I went to the Ministry of Interior to apply for a residency visa,
saying that I intend to make Aliyah (i.e., become an Israeli citizen).
Though I arrived before 7:30 a.m. (they open at 8:00), they were already out
of numbers for that day, so I got an appointment for next Tuesday.  Today,
Gaby called the State's Attorney and asked for me to be able to stay at
least until Tuesday, to make my appointment (under the terms of my bail
agreement, I am required to leave on Saturday, January 17).  He would not
agree.  He said that I should have gone to the Ministry earlier, and that I
was acting in bad faith.  We pointed out that the date for my departure was
set based on my getting out of jail on Tuesday and I was not released until
Thursday night because of their delays, not ours.  And since I could not do
anything Friday or Saturday, it is not unreasonable that I couldn't get to
the Ministry until Wednesday, and I did not know that I wouldn't be able to
be seen that day.  She said that we would go to court, and he said that if
we did, he would ask the court for "damages," essentially, to fine me for
asking to break the agreement.  Although I have trouble believing that I
could be fined for _asking_ to break the agreement, she fears that the court
might do that.  However, I told her to go ahead and ask the court.  She
should get an answer from the court tomorrow morning.

If the court says I must in fact leave on Saturday, then I will go to Jordan
and try to cross back on Sunday.  So right now I am trying to do everything
I need to do if I am not going to be able to come back, since I think it is
likely that if I leave, I will not get back in before February 8 when I fly
to London.

If I have to leave and am refused at the border, I will be wanting people to
do what they can to protest this.  So if you have a chance to check your
email over the weekend, please do.

I REALLY cannot bear to leave while Ayad and the others are in prison, so
please do everything you can to help us get them out quickly (it's not all
on you, we are also trying to get them a lawyer).

Thanks for all your emails of support.  Sorry if I haven't answered, but I
really do love hearing from you.

STOP THE WALL!  FREE AYAD!  FREE PALESTINE!

Love,

Kate



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