Israeli Authorities stop human rights defender coming to Ireland
international |
rights, freedoms and repression |
press release 
Friday September 09, 2005 16:11
by Front LIne
info at frontlinedefenders dot org
A Prominent palestinian human rights defender is not permitted to attend the Front Line 3rd platform for human rights defenders at risk even though she has an irish entry visa
The Israeli authorities are preventing a Palestinian human rights defender from attending Front Line’s 3rd Dublin platform for human rights defenders in October.
Ms. Khalida Jarrar, director of the Addameer prisoner’s support and human rights organisation has secured an Irish entry visa to participate in the Dublin conference but will not be permitted to pass through the Israeli border to board her flight.
She said that the only explanation the authorities gave her was “security reasons”.
This is not the first time the Israeli authorities have tried to stop Ms. Jarrar from going to a Human rights defenders conference. In 1998 she was told she could not attend the World Summit of human rights defenders in Paris but she said that after pressure from Amnesty International and the French external minister,” they gave me the permit at the last minute.”
She said that since 1998 she has received a lot of invitations to participate in international conferences but “Israel has not allowed me because they do not like me, as a Palestinian, to go outside and talk about the Israeli violations of human rights.”
The human rights defender told Front Line that she appealed the decision in the Israeli courts but it has been upheld.
Front Line has called upon the Israeli government to give Khalida Jarrar immediate permission to travel abroad to attend the Front Line 3rd Dublin Platform for human rights defenders, in conformity with the UN declaration on human rights defenders.
Comments (3 of 3)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3It should come as no surprise to anyone that Israel will refuse exit to sdomeone who is working to highlight their apalling human rights record.
Year in Year out Israel are condemned by Amnesty International and others for having an apalling human rights record yet the world remains silent on this.
Israel jailed Mordechai Vanunu for 18 years for highlighting Israels illegal development of nuclear weapons despite Israel's denial that it has nuclear weapons.
Israel is a dangerous state which is governed at the momnet by a war criminal responsible for the Shabra and Chailta masacres. Israel does not respect international law as can be witnessed by it breaching of UN resolutions and the Geneva Convention. Israel does not respect the rule of law, nor human rights.
However the world remains silent on this, denial is complicity, silence is complicity.
If you give a platform to a Palestinian why not give the same platform to an Israeli (not from the radical left)? There has to be some fairness in this propaganda war. Your anti-Israeli attitude creates division and is not ment to solve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Rather it is a weapon in the hands of those who want to see the elimination of Israel.
seriously, asking for fairness in a "propaganda war" is pretty absurd. But beyond this point it should be noted that any Israeli, or anyone that is williong to advocate and seek support or to justify the actions of the Israeli occupation forces and the isrelai government is more than able to come here and speak of their own accord. Perhaps someone from the Israeli embassy is willing to support this womans attempts to come to irleand and then sit beside her at a table where each and all of the issues are discussed in a frank and honest manner... c'mon, its not like its difficult to justify occupation...
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