out of israeli detention

There have been no updates here because I have been traveling, in prison, and then traveling again.

I am now back in the US and will post a detailed report shortly.  Here is the short version.

Despite fears about a no-fly list created by the Israeli government (which did keep several hundred mostly French activists from boarding their planes to Palestine), our group of about 15 Brits, Irish and Americans successfully boarded our flight at Luton airport on July 8, with one exception: American Michael Rabb was kept off the plane by security at the last minute.

We arrived at Ben Gurion Airport and were pulled aside for detention almost immediately upon arriving at passport control--I was pulled aside after I simply stated my destination as Aida refugee camp near Bethlehem.  We were detained for 4 hours in a basement immigration holding area, then for another 3 hours on a very hot, poorly ventilated and roach-infested prison bus with no toilet access and no water until we pounded on the doors to demand it.  While we were waiting with about 40 French, Belgian, American and UK citizens in the immigration holding area, a large number of police and Border Patrol officers entered and provoked a confrontation by trying to remove a French man of Arab descent from the room by himself, against his will.  When his comrades tried to nonviolently prevent him from being removed, the police used it as an excuse to attack us, hitting a few people and shoving around many others.  A small solidarity demonstration of brave Israeli activists at the airport was also viciously attacked by police and bystanders.

At about 11pm Friday night we were driven to the Givon immigration detention center in Ramla, 30km from Tel Aviv.  At 1am, after having been detained for 9 hours, we finally received food, which prison guards filmed us eating so they could show how well they were treating us.  I was processed and put in a six-woman cell around 2:30am.

We were held in Givon prison for 4 nights and 4 days, until we were finally deported around 8pm Tuesday.  Throughout the whole process--100 hours of detention--we were never told the legal basis for our detention or shown any deportation paperwork.  We did not get our passports back until we were sitting on the plane about to depart.  Most people's passports were stamped ENTRY DENIED; mine and a few others were stamped with nothing at all.  It's as if I never entered the country, except for the fact that I was in prison for 4 days and now most certainly have a big fat Shabak file.  We were not given any information on our legal status or ability to enter Palestine in the future; we are still trying to get definitive answers on whether we have been banned from re-entering.

Throughout it all we had wonderful lawyers from Addameer, who put up with intimidation, humiliation and harassment from the prison guards in order to advise us pro bono.  Elf shukran to Anan and Samer for their determined help.

The spirit of solidarity and cooperation among the prisoners on the womens' block was incredible.  I am also deeply humbled by the many messages of concern and support I have received via email, Facebook, Twitter and phone, many from people I do not know personally.  I believe everyone has come out of the experience empowered and more determined to continue fighting for justice for Palestinians.

While we were detained, the Israeli government passed a repressive anti-boycott law, the Israeli navy attacked an unarmed ship accompanying fishermen in Gaza, and the reports are that Gaza was heavily shelled tonight.  The night after we were deported, this was the scene in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh.

I will write more soon, but just posting this brief update to let everyone know I am safe and well.  Free Palestine!