On September 17th, a Palestinian court has convicted two men of kidnapping and murdering Vittorio, whilst a third man was convicted of abduction. All the accused belonged to an obscure Salafi group which is opposed to Hamas.

“Vic” as we knew him spent a lot of time in London, and was a good friend to several ISM London volunteers. Fit and strong, he was a big man with a big personality whose presence lit up any gathering.

Behind the jokes, the brio and vitality, Vic was a serious political activist deeply committed to the Palestinian cause. He was denied entry to Israel and did a week imprisoned in an Israeli airport detention centre before turning his attention to Gaza. Once there he became one of the long term volunteers who ensured the ISM Gaza movement was active and effective.

Today our thoughts are with Vic’s family, who typically asked the court not to impose the death penalty upon the murderers. Vic was desperately unlucky to be the only international ISM volunteer ever harmed by Palestinians. His killing brought feelings of shame and sorrow to Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank. His killers were swiftly apprehended within days of their crime.

Vic was such a presence that it’s hard to accept that he’s gone. His spirit and our memories of him will continue to inspire us, as we stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Several former ISM London volunteers were with Rachel when she was killed in Gaza on March 16th 2003. It was and remains their unanimous opinion that Rachel was murdered when an Israeli armoured bulldozer drove over her. Rachel was wearing an orange hi-vis vest and carrying a bullhorn to amplify her voice when she was run over.

Rachel is never far from our thoughts, and once again we send our sympathy and support to parents Craig and Cindy Corrie, who have been treated with appalling callousness by the state of Israel.

Rachel did not die in vain. Over the past nine years since her death thousands of ISM volunteers have witnessed the suffering of the Palestinian people, and brought reports and images of the illegal military occupation of Palestine back to their home countries. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement has emerged as a real force and continues to grow, much to Israel’s discomfort.

Rachel Corrie has been the subject of several documentaries, an award winning play, and a best selling book. She continues to inspire us as we stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

On the 15^th April, a pleasant spring evening with the sun casting the sky a mix of pinks, greys and blue, approximately thirty people quietly gathered in front of the Italian embassy in London to celebrate and remember the life and death of political activist and friend, Vittorio Arrigoni. Many had knew Vittorio personally, had worked with him in Gaza or the West Bank whilst volunteering with the International Solidarity Movement, others had passionately read his blog and journals of the tragedy of life inside Gaza, and others who knew him only through the reputation that preceeded him for being a committed and dedicated activist for the Palestinian cause. His life had touched and inspired many, not solely through his bravery and dedication, but through his humanity, his humour and his love of life.

As people gathered, greeted each other with deep hugs, lit candles and drank Mojitos (his favourite), they reminisced about who he was, his achievements, the sadness of a life given to Palestinian liberation and yet so brutally cut short. And despite an immediate sense of loss and confusion as to why such an incredible man was targeted and executed, people also sought to understand how morality can become perverted under the weight of an Israeli siege and in a place where everyone’s life is lived with the spectre of death always sitting in the shadows.

Those who worked with him spoke of how, despite his size and his fearless approach in protecting farmers and fishermen, he became squeamish at the sight of blood and how he had to steel himself for working with the ambulances during Operation Cast Lead. They spoke of how he brought a sense of life and joy to those he spent time with, how his energy and reverie for being himself encouraged others to do the same, how his humanity was infectious and his ability to touch the hearts of all members of the community. Such was this characteristic that he had been given honorary Palestinian citizenship.

And finally, he was renowned as someone who saw himself as a Palestinian in heart and soul. He believed he would commit his life to Palestine, and knew somehow, that his death would be there too.

Amidst the tears, smiles and hugs, the Italian anti-fascist folk song, Bella Ciao was sung, it’s lyrics pertinent and fitting with the life of Vittorio, one that was lived fighting injustice and died for a cause that had become the embodiment of his soul.

He visited London frequently and many of us knew him as a friend as well as
a deeply committed activist for the Palestinian cause.

Our thoughts and sympathy are with his family, friends and his fellow ISM
volunteers.

ISM Palestine will update their website when more news is available. See their latest statement.

UPDATED, 8th September: Tom’s Killer was released this morning. The Hurndall family was not informed by any representative of the Israeli government. The British Foreign Office did contact Jocelyn this morning, but not before the news had reached her via ISM London. We are re-publishing our press release from July as our statement today.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

20th July 2010

The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) condemns the early release from prison of the Israeli soldier that murdered photography student and ISM volunteer Tom Hurndall in Gaza in 2003. The Israeli press yesterday reported that Taysir Hayb will be released three years early from an already short eight-year sentence.

His murder was only a symptom of a much wider culture of impunity in the Israeli army. This early release serves to reinforce the notion that the Israeli army can continue to commit war crimes against Palestinians without fear of serious consequences.

Tom’s mother Jocelyn Hurndall told ISM London that: “this reduced sentence comes at a time when the world is becoming more sceptical about Israel’s investigations into its own actions. It’s a reminder of Israel’s disregard for international law and opinion.”

When Hayb was sentenced in 2005, human rights activist, Raphael Cohen, who was with Tom on the day of the shooting said, “On the very street where Tom was shot, two children had been shot just days before. This is why he and the rest of the group went to that spot, to protest against the shooting of children as they played outside their homes. There has never been any investigation into the shootings of those children.”

To this day, there has still been no investigation of these deaths or of the thousands of other Palestinian civilians killed by Israeli soldiers. Only last month in Jerusalem Ziad Joulani, 41, a Palestinian shopkeeper and father of three with no criminal record or history of political activism, was killed when Israeli police opened fire as he got out of his car. [1] His killing is not being investigated.

Tom’s family had to fight hard to achieve even the eight-year manslaughter conviction that they won in 2005, against a system of Israeli obfuscation and lies, and an indifferent British government. In a statement yesterday the Foreign Office merely said: “We note the court’s decision to release Taysir Hayb and recognise the grief this decision will cause to the Hurndall family,” describing the deliberate act of murder as “a tragedy”.

Tom’s father Anthony hit back in the Guardian today, condemning this as a “weak response” by the British government, and demanding to meet with ministers. He said: “I would like them to say that this is not just a tragedy but that the Israeli government is directly responsibile for Tom’s death and should acknowledge this and take steps to put matters right by changing policies to ensure that civilians are not shot or killed indiscriminately.”

Israel did not even bother to inform the Hurndall family in advance of the news reaching the Israeli press, and Tom’s sister Sophie only learnt the news when ISM London contacted her yesterday.

Hayb shot Tom in the forehead with a high velocity bullet using a rifle with a telescopic sight, while he attempted to rescue Palestinian children in Gaza from Israeli gunfire. According to an Observer report from the 2005 trial, Hayb was “an award-winning marksman”. [2] Tom never regained consciousness, dying nine months later in a London hospital at the age of 22.

Jewish nurse and peace activist Alice Coy, who saw Tom shot, said Hayb was only part of “a culture of impunity in which generations of Israelis are taught that Arabs hate them and are subhuman. They are then given guns and they know they can get away with killing Palestinians. The occupation and aggression of Zionist policy is harming ordinary Israelis as well as Palestinians.”

Amnesty International says that: “The shocking truth is that Israeli soldiers kill civilians in Gaza with near-total impunity, week in week out” [3]

B’Tselem, the Israeli human rights organisation, report that “From the beginning of the [second] intifada, on 29 September 2000, to the end of 2008 (not including Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, which began on 27 December), [Israeli] security forces killed more than 2,200 Palestinians who were not taking part in the hostilities at the time they were killed. However, a Military Police investigation was opened in only 287 cases of suspected illegal shooting by security forces. This number includes investigations into cases in which civilians were wounded. Only 33 of these investigations resulted in the filing of indictments” [4]

Israeli human rights group Yesh Din clarifies that of these, Haib is the only soldier to have been convicted for an offence causing death: “From the beginning of the second intifada until the end of 2009, Courts-Martial convicted soldiers of offenses connected with the deaths of only four civilians: three Palestinians and one British national. One soldier was convicted of manslaughter, and he was the only one convicted of an offense of causing death. Four other soldiers were convicted of offenses of negligence.” [5]

For more information:

Alice Coy, UK: +44 7828 540512

ISM Media Office, Ramallah: +972 59 760 6276 or +972 2 241 0604

ISM London: +44 7913 067 189

References

“Family of Palestinian driver killed by police demands investigation”. LA Times online, 14th June 2010 http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2010/06/israel-family-of-palestinian-driver-killed-by-police-demands-investigation.html

“Parents fight to learn why Israeli sniper shot their son”. Observer, 30th January 2005 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/jan/30/israel

“Hurndall case: Israeli military forces still kill civilians with ‘near-total impunity’” Amnesty International statement, 7th October 2008 http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=17897

“Military Police investigations during the al-Aqsa intifada” B’Tselem http://www.btselem.org/English/Accountability/Investigatin_of_Complaints.asp

“IDF Investigations of IDF offenses against Palestinians” [PDF] Yesh Din, Februrary 2010

REVISION, 21st July: The initial version of this press release erroneously stated that Ziad Joulani had been shot “last week”. In fact he was killed on the 14th of June, as stated in the text of our reference. This online version has been revised to read “last month”. The final paragraph with the Yesh Din figures on convictions was also added.

A group of activists dropped a 12 foot dingy outside Downing Street at around 8.30am this morning to protest against the British government’s continued support for Israel in the wake of its deadly raid on the Gaza Freedom flotilla on Monday May 31^st.

The activists drew attention to the influence of the Zionist lobby over many MPs and the media, an influence that reinforces the impunity enjoyed by Israel even when it commits murderous crimes in breach of international law. The demonstrators made an explicit link between the Zionist lobby and the UK government’s proposed changes to universal jurisdiction, which are due to be introduced this month.

The boat was positioned directly in front of the gates of Downing Street and flew a sail reading ‘SOS! Israeli Pirates Sinking Our Laws! Rescue Universal Jurisdiction’. Protesters gathered around the boat chanting pro-Palestine slogans as well as ‘End Israeli piracy, no more impunity!’

There were no serious confrontations with the police, who seemed wary about engaging with the demonstrators in front of the video cameras and photographers present. After 20 minutes the activists decided to take the protest into the decision-making heart of the UK, and headed with the boat for parliament itself.

Police at parliament were shocked at the sight of a boat heading towards them and only reacted when the activists attempted to enter the grounds, pushing them back outside and shutting the gates. The boat was left in front of the Commons while the chants about Israeli impunity continued. Eventually the activists carried the boat over the road and left it with the Democracy Village camp in Parliament Square. Everyone dispersed peacefully around 9.45am.

While there has been much publicity surrounding Israel’s attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, the UK government has managed to keep its plans for changes to universal jurisdiction very quiet. Following the political embarrassment caused by the issuing of an arrest warrant for war crimes against former Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni last December, for her active role in the atrocities committed in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead, the government (both Labour and the coalition) has sought, under pressure from the Zionist lobby, to abolish private prosecution in universal jurisdiction and international cases.

This amounts to a gross politicisation of the British judicial system, placing the power to prosecute war criminals solely in the hands of the government. Strategic and diplomatic partners will thus enjoy even greater freedom to commit crimes against humanity safe in the knowledge that their friends in Westminster will not prosecute them should they come to the UK.

This is an issue that will have massive repercussions for those seeking justice not only for the Israeli crimes committed in the occupied Palestinian territories, but also for those people whose lives have been devastated in conflicts such as in Sudan, Rwanda, Cambodia, Former Yugoslavia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Colombia and Sri Lanka, to name just a few. It is up to civil society to oppose the government’s proposed changes. British judicial tradition dictates that one is innocent until proven guilty. If the politicians and leaders of countries like Israel have nothing to hide, let them prove it before a court of law. The proposed changes will only make justice an even more distant possibility for those fighting for the rights of the dispossessed and destroyed in these conflicts.

Video:

Today thousands of protestors marched from Downing Street to the Israeli Embassy to voice their anger at the Israeli state terrorism which led to the deaths on Monday May 31st of at least nine humanitarian activists attempting to deliver aid and supplies to Gaza.

Gathering together from 1pm, the crowd converged to direct their anger at the British government which, beyond a handful of token words deploring the deaths of the nine volunteers, has done nothing concrete to punish Israel for its violations of international law. After some speeches during which the rally grew to an impressive size, the long march to the embassy set off at around 2.30pm.

An estimated 20,000 protestors (see www.stopwar.org.uk) filled the streets with chants of ‘Free Palestine!’ and ‘End the Siege on Gaza!’. As they filed up Regent Street towards Piccadilly Circus, a number of protestors entered the Tesco’s situated there and proceeded to inform shoppers and staff about the sale of Israeli and Settlement produce and the importance of boycotting Israeli goods in order to challenge and undermine the occupation and the siege of Gaza. Staff were clearly unimpressed and attempted to remove demonstrators, however for all those they removed, many more filtered in from the main march having seen what was going on inside.

The march continued towards the Israeli Embassy and, as it went, members of the public cheered the procession on. Converging outside the embassy on Kensington High Street, the march was rounded off with a series of speeches from prominent MPs, flotilla survivors and activists including Tony Benn, MP Jeremy Corbyn, Ewa Jasiewicz and Jody McIntyre. At around 6.30pm the crowds dispersed and the demo came to an end.

The thousands that descended upon the capital reflect the depth of public anger and disgust at the violent actions of the Israeli military and state. Similar mass demonstrations took place across the UK and internationally.

“On Sunday night three Israeli frigates came within about half a mile of us. It was pitch black but we could see the lights on the ships and we realised that we were going to have a difficult night.

“Nothing happened until 4am (local time) when we heard quite a lot of speed boats coming towards us – they might have been into double figures.

“As soon as they started approaching tear gas was fired and sound bombs were dropped on the deck.

“No warning was given, we were in international waters about 100 miles away from the shore.

“There were some hose pipes which were used to repel the soldiers as they landed and after 10-15 minutes they moved away. Then a helicopter arrived and started firing rubber bullets down on us.

“I was on the second deck at the back, so I had a view of the top deck and the sides as well.

“Two soldiers appeared, moved away, then a second helicopter came overhead and they started firing live bullets onto the deck.

“I personally witnessed four deaths in front of me, one was shot in the back of his head as he was running away.

“He fell two feet away from me so I had to drag him away from the firing, it was very traumatising and yes, I feared for my life.

“After a few minutes I took over the tannoy system and I said ‘we surrender, please don’t fire’ and told people to put their hands on their knees to show they had no weapons.

“As I was doing that people were bringing the injured onto the floor in front of me. It felt like it carried on for a lifetime.

“At the end of the raid we counted 28 people had been shot and some were bleeding profusely.

“It all ended at about 10am and we were rounded up, told to sit down and plastic straps were tied around our wrists.

“We were kept in that position until Tuesday and that was the worst moment.

“People weren’t allowed to eat, drink, and we didn’t know what was going to happen to us because we thought we’d been kidnapped. That was the most frightening part because we didn’t know if the world knew what had happened.”

UPDATE, 4 June 11am — Alex Harrison and the other UK eyewitness from the flotilla just landed in Heathrow airport. Sky News covered. We have her number if you need it — call us (number at end of this press release).

UPDATE, 3 June 11am — All four of the Palestinian citizens of Israel are now out of jail. All four been put under house arrest until the 8th (we had previously understood that only Raed Saleh was under house arrest, but have now confirmed that it is all four).  The remaining British activists are believed to have been put on the planes to Turkey. We are trying to get in contact with them.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ISM London, 4.30pm, Wednesday 2 June

At least 37 British citizens currently held by Israel are resisting attempts to deport them until all flotilla prisoners are released at the same time.

Israeli spokespeople have said all foreign activists will be deported by the end of the day.

However four Palestinian citizens of Israel among the activists have been remanded and face criminal charges. Free Gaza Movement activists say they will non-violently resist any attempts to deport them until all prisoners are released together.

Lawyers from Israeli civil rights NGO Adalah said that among the four charged are Ms. Lubna Masarwa of Al Quds University and Sheikh Raed Salah, the Head of the Islamic Movement in Israel (northern branch).

Israeli officials have prevented lawyers from speaking to the prisoners today, and there are fears they will be violently rushed onto planes and out of the country – possibly to Turkey. If they manage to do so, the Palestinian passengers will remain behind in prison.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said in Parliament today that Israel has blocked consular access to some of the British prisoners, with only 28 having been contacted so far

All of the activists were kidnapped in international waters during Israel’s raid on the flotilla of aid vessels from the Free Gaza Movement and the Turkish NGO IHH in the early hours of Monday morning.

Israel is still refusing to release the names of the dead people, two days after the massacre. We still do not know the final death toll. Reports have ranged from nine to 19 dead.

It is believed that six were Turkish nationals. The nationalities of the rest are yet unknown.

The bodies of the Turkish dead will be flown home later today

For more information contact:

ISM London, 07913 067 189
Sharyn Lock (Free Gaza Movement, England) 07881 651 259

Gabrielle Rubin, Adalah +972 528 332430 or +972 4 9501610

Vittorio Arrigoni (Italy, based in Gaza) +972 5977 50820
Eva Bartlett (Canada, based in Gaza) +972 5987 10648
Adie Mormech (England, based in Gaza) +972 5977 17696
Bianca Zammit (Malta, based in Gaza) +972 5975 89688

The Zionist Federation are planning a demonstration to for “Israels right to defend itself”: or Israel’s right to turn a strip of land contain just under a million and half people into an open air prison and massacre people trying to break the blockade.

Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods have called for all pro-Palestinian activists to hold a counter demonstration to show the Zionist Federation that dancing on the graves of those trying to bring aid to besieged Gaza will not go unopposed in the streets.

Meet 7PM TONIGHT outside the Israeli embassy (2 Palace Green, London, W8 4QB), bring flags, banners and noise.