American peace activist Darlene Wallach's story of her arrest

a news story by Eileen Fleming about the arrest of an American peace advocate of non-violence n the Middle East (more of her story on the previous posting below)---

December 6, 2008
On November 18, 2008, Darlene Wallach of California was kidnapped atgunpoint by Israeli forces and deported to New York City onThanksgiving Day. She arrived without money, passport, cell phone,warm winter clothes and had no way of contacting her family andfriends in California, London, or Cyprus.

Darlene spoke to me on the phone from the home of the parents of an International Solidarity Movement/ISM activist who met her at JFKAirport.

The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) is a Palestinian-led NONVIOLENT movement that resists the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land in creative and always nonviolent ways. ISM wasfounded by a few committed thoughtful people in August, 2001. ISMsupports and strengthens the NONVIOLENT Palestinian popularresistance front by providing international presence and a voice thatwill not be silenced.

Darlene began and ended our conversation talking about why she "willreturn to Gaza. It is because of the people of Gaza. It is theirspirit, courage, resilience, kindness, warmth, hospitality, love andresistance to the occupation that pulls me back."

Twice, Darlene has been to Gaza and arrested and deported by IsraeliForces.

Her first visit was in 2002. While in the Balata Refugee camp she wasarrested along with seven other nonviolent internationals who werethere bearing witness to the collective punishment of Palestinians.All eight were arrested and deported, but that did not stop Darlenefrom returning for more.

Darlene arrived in Gaza for her second time, aboard the SS Liberty onAugust 23, 2008. She was arrested this time along with Andrew Munciefrom Scotland and Victor Arrigoni from Italy who had arrived at thesame time and had remained in Gaza until they were kidnapped byIsraeli Forces on November 18, 2008.Darlene said, "

I told the American Embassy I wanted to be deported toLondon or Cypress where I have many friends as I had no money did notknow anyone in New York and had no means of contacting anyone. Their response was to issue me passport valid for one month which becomeinvalid once I entered the USA. The two Embassy employees kindly gaveme fifty five dollars out of their own pockets, but the AmericanEmbassy, whose job it is to take care of American citizens and myCongressional Representative, whose job it is to represent me, failedme…

"It began around ten in the morning on the 18th. I was with 15 fishermen and Andrew and Vittorio; all on three typical woodenPalestinian fishing boats. The usual response from the Israeli Naval Forces who illegally invade Gaza water zones, is to shoot machineguns, canons, grenades. They do a lot of damage to the boats withtargeted high pressure water canons. Those water canons have crackedpeoples ribs and one of the nonviolent activists was nearly washedover board from the force. The Palestinian fishing boats havesustained a lot of damage from the high pressured water fired fromthe water canon. The Israeli navy has also used some kind of "dirtywater". We still don't know what the Israeli Forces are mixing inthat water, but it smells like putrid sewage and they wear protectiveclothing - masks, gloves and what ever else, to keep themselvesprotected from the liquid they shoot at the fishing boats, the catchin the nets and at the Palestinian fishermen and internationals whoare in Gaza territorial waters."

On that Tuesday morning, the Israeli Forces had three gunboats thatwere joined by five Zodiacs. Zodiacs are inflatable, high-speedmaneuverable water craft. The Zodiacs came right up to each woodenfishing boat one at a time. I saw them board the boat Andrew was on -he raised his arms above his head and they put a life vest on him andput him on the Zodiac. Then more Israeli Forces boarded that boat andbegan putting the Palestinian fishermen on another Zodiac. Usuallythe Israeli Forces do not board the fishing boats. They order thefishermen to strip and then swim over to the Israeli boat. This timewas different…"

After they finished with the boat Andrew was on, a Zodiac came andIsraeli Forces boarded the boat I was on. One of the Israelis said inEnglish "you are in Israel."

"We were in Gaza waters and I did not want to go to Israel, but theIsraeli Forces kidnapped me at gunpoint and forced me to Israelagainst my will. We were told in English to raise our hands."

I said, 'I want to stay with my friends. I want to stay on theboat.' The three notebooks I had with me were confiscated. Atgunpoint I was forced off the Palestinian boat, onto the IsraeliZodiac and then onto the Israeli gunboat."

I saw the Palestinian fishermen, blindfolded and handcuffed, takenfrom the boat Andrew was on. I said I wanted to stay with my friendson the deck. I was then forced below to the second level and Ifinally saw Andrew again. He was handcuffed and sitting at a table ina galley-kitchen area. We started to talk and were ordered to shutup. The Israeli Forces separated us and later they brought Vittorio in."

Vittorio looked awful! I was very concerned about him, but didn'tlearn until much later that he had been tasered while holding onto ametal structure on the roof of the fishing boat. He ended up in thecold water and I am assuming he was suffering from hypothermia; hewas barefoot, and shivering!"

When we arrived in Ashdod and as I was being taken off the Israeligunboat I saw the Palestinian fishermen, blindfolded and handcuffedsitting on the deck. I yelled, in Arabic, that they were my dearfriends and I will see them again."

I was questioned by many Israelis and my response was that I was nottalking to anyone or answering any questions without my attorneypresent."

All of my belongings — cell phones, cameras, keys to my apartment,everything was confiscated and while in Israeli custody, I was takento Ben Gurion Airport for an audience with the Minister of the Interior."

I told him-and every other inquisitor that I wasn't answering anyquestions without my attorney. His response was, 'We are done!'"

I do not know what charges were filed against me. I was held in thewomen's compound in the men's prison at Ramle that held people withvisa violations. So I'm assuming I was there for being in Israelwithout a visa - pretty ridiculous given I was forced to go to Israelat gunpoint against my will. Israel deported me against my will backto America. I wanted to go to London or Cypress, but my requests wereignored. My belongings were not returned to me - my cell phone, mythree notebooks, my keys to the apartment!"

When I saw the Zodiacs, I tried to text on my cell phone but therewas no network. By some miracle, I received a phone call and told theperson what was happening. A little later the captain, Adham, handedme his phone as Fida, the ISM-Gaza Strip Palestinian coordinatorcalled to talk with me, she could not get through on my phone. If Ihad not received that first phone call I don't know how our friendsin Gaza would have known what happened to us."

Usually Israel will hold Gaza fishing men and their boats for weeksor months at a time. This time the men were released the followingday and their boat a week later. The Israeli Forces damaged a motoron one and stole all the GPS units."

On this trip 15 men who usually remain at sea for two days at atime, were denied their catch and that resulted in denying hundredsof children some protein! Hundreds of people were impacted just fromthis one illegal action by Israeli Forces. The families and everyoneconnected with the three Palestinian fishing boats were without theirsource of food and income for ten days — longer for the damaged boat.

"The thing that pulls me back to Gaza is the people. The Palestinianshave touched my heart and I will continue to work in solidarity withthem and I will return to Gaza."

(ed. note from Jan) To see a video of the Israeli Navy using water cannons to harrass Gazan fishermen, see "A Day in the Life of a Gaza Fisherman: http://redressnewsblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/video-day-in-life-of-gazan-fisherman.html

Eileen Fleming is the author of Keep Hope Alive and Memoirs of a Nice Irish American Girl's' Life in Occupied Territory and the producer of 30 Minutes With Vanunu. Email her at ecumei@gmail.com. Read otherarticles by Eileen, or visit Eileen's website: http://www.wearewideawake.org/