Appeal For Israel Not to Deny Entry to the Pope on Visit to Palestine/Israel

6 May 2009

Fearing further repetition of Israel’s ongoing practice of arbitrarily denying entry to foreign nationals trying to enter the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967, the Campaign for the Right to Enter the oPt is issuing an open appeal to the Israeli government not to deny entry to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip.

In light of the hundreds of cases of foreign-passport holders—teachers, doctors, businesspersons, students, husbands and wives, clergy, pilgrims and caretakers, just to name a few—who have been turned back at ports of entry under Israel’s control while trying to reach their place of work, their families or their churches, representatives of the Campaign remain concerned by Israel’s continued failure to provide a clear, transparent and lawful policy regarding who can enter the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).

On the occasion of the visit of His Holiness, the Campaign repeats its demand that Israel stop the practice of arbitrarily denying entry to foreign-passport holders wishing to visit or reside in the oPt and reminds the public that nobody is immune. While Israel is unlikely to stamp “Denied Entry” on the Pope’s Vatican passport, as it did to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, Professor Richard Falk, a few days before last Christmas, the Campaign wishes to call His Holiness’attention to the fact that even he is not immune from being told by Israeli authorities to “return to where you came from,”as they did to Professor Falk.

The Campaign is actively calling on states, religious leaders, and all people of conscience worldwide to work for an end to Israel’s unlawful restrictive measures and to the serious harm they cause to the protected Palestinian population, their family life and their educational, religious and social institutions.

The Vatican, like other high Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, has an obligation to scrutinize Israel’s exercise of authority as an occupying power and to oppose arbitrary denials of entry to the oPt. The Campaign calls on his Holiness to give his attention to these abusive practices, which have also threatened the continuity and integrity of Palestinian religious life. Failing to object to internationally unlawful acts and policies when confronted with them implies accepting them as lawful.

For more information please contact:
Campaign Coordinator
Telephone: +970.(0)59.817.3953
Facsimile: +970.(0)2.295.1551
Website: http://www.RightToEnter.ps
Email: info@righttoenter.ps

AIPAC ED fears the growing movement to sanction Israel could fundamentally change US policy towards Israel. He’s right.

One of the most interesting speeches given at the AIPAC Policy Conference was one that received the least media attention. AIPAC Executive Director Howard Kohr addressed the capacity crowd Sunday night before Newt Gingrich, and he came with a stern and clear warning – there is a growing movement to de-legitimize Israel in the eyes of its allies.

He warned it’s growing, it’s successful and it’s coming to the US. In a conference full of fire and brimstone bluster about Iran and the omnipresent threat of annihilation, when it came to this speech Kohr was exactly on the mark.

READ ON

The unseen agony of white phosphorus

See the pictures here

Ali 4 and Farah 2 abu Halima with their uncle Ahmed 22 and grandmother Um Mohammed Matr Abu Halima in their burnet house which was destroyed by fire of the phosphoric bombs which were used by the Israeli war planes in the war on Gaza last Dec. 2008,Jan. 2009 , Both children Farah ,Ali and their grandmother were seriously burnt after being exposed to the phosphoric bombs inside their house, while the father of the family Sa’ad Alah Matr Abu Halima was killed with 4 of his children (Abed Raheem 14,Zaid 10,Hamza 8, and Shahed 1) .

Um Mohammed daughter in law Ghada 20 also died in an Egyptian hospital after 3 months of suffering of the phosphoric aftereffect of the bomb that killed Halima’s family six members.

Farah Abu Halima 2,Ali Abu Halima 4 who are living with their grandmother had been all suffering of the phosphoric aftereffect since the bomb fell in their family house , phosphoric aftereffects can’t be cured for eternity according to doctors and patients suffering from it can only use pain killers to reduce the pain.