A mother and son, both American citizens, were savagely beaten on Monday morning by an Israeli security official at the Israeli entry point from Jordan: Allenby Bridge. Tina Hannouneh, 47 years old, had her nose broken, and underwent surgery today to stitch up her eyebrow which was deeply cut, her 17 year old son who was also assaulted was too traumatized to seek medical assistance. Their crime was looking Palestinian.
Tina who was born in the west bank, moved to Arizona in 1986, where she now works in a bank. She and her son Michael had come to Palestine, on holiday, to visit friends and family. They were assaulted by an Israeli security official while passing through the Israeli border check from Jordan.
The incident occurred because17 year old Michael, who suffers form a chronic heart condition, was listening to his i-pod.
Tina underwent surgery this morning in Beit Jala. Today she spoke to PNN about her ordeal:
“We were entering through security when, a guy dressed as a civilian, not army or police came up to him. He grabbed Michael’s neck with his right hand and put his left hand into his pocket where had his i-pod and he said “give me that” in Arabic.”
Michael, who has spent most of his life in the US, does not speak or understand Arabic. He was unaware that the man choking him was a security officer, and refused to give him the mp3 player. “He was not wearing any uniform he couldn’t recognize him as police or army or anything. He payed $400 for that i-pod he’s not just going to give it to anybody.”
Michael confused and bewildered held on to his i-pod and then the officer became violent. “Then the guy punched him, dropped him to the ground, and started banging his head against on the floor, ‘you can’t say no to a police officer”, he shouted in Arabic.”
Tina, horrified, rushed over to the aid of her son. “A mother will never, ever accept somebody lay a hand on her son in front of her. I yelled at the guy and told him please, talk to him in English he doesn’t speak Hebrew or Arabic.” Then the security official turned on Tina.
“As hard as he could he hit my face, I fell to the floor, and hit my head on the metal bar in the security fence, I have two stitches here and my nose is really smashed. My shirt, and my pants were covered in blood”.
Tina kept calling for her son until another plain clothes security official approached her. “He took my hands cuffed them, the other guy, handcuffed my son, and then he pointed a gun right into my eyes, and said “if you speak one word I’ll shoot you”. I cried.”
Humiliating
The terrorized family’s ordeal only came to an end when other officials realized they were American. Like all Palestinians Tina and Michael were victims of institutional racism at the heart of the Israeli security service. “They did to me because of the colour of my skin, because I’m Palestinian”. Tina told PNN, “I can’t even travel through the checkpoint and complain to the US Consulate in Jerusalem because I am Palestinian. It’s humiliating”.
Adi Dagan, from Machsom Watch an Israeli human rights organization that monitors checkpoints told PNN, “To them she is just a Palestinian. Palestinians are without protection. In 2004 we documented 100 complaints of violence and we only received about 10 responses, sometimes soldiers are punished but often nothing happens. This is what ordinary Palestinians go through everyday.”
Machsom Watch has documented shocking cases of physical violence, including one incident where a Border Policeman attacked Palestinian man in the face with a screwdriver. Yet Machsom Watch admit that they have difficulty getting the full picture, “it’s clear to us that the soldiers act cautiously around us, the watchers and reporters, but lose their restraint when we are absent.”
PNN has learned that often Palestinians are too afraid to make complaints, especially as it would involve further contact with Israeli security officials. PNN contacted the US Consulate and the Israeli police, but as of yet has failed to receive any response.
Internationals at checkpoints
The assault follows a Harretz report stating that for the first time since 1967
Israel is implementing a new policy in the west bank: preventing the entry of Palestinians with foreign citizenship, most of them Americans. As always, the reasons are connected to “security” yet harassment and restrictions separate families and weaken humanitarian organizations.
Nidal Ibrahim at the Arab American Institute (AAI) in Washington DC told PNN, “We at AAI are disturbed by continued reports that we're getting of Israeli mistreatment of American citizens of Palestinian descent. Including both being denied entry as well as the rough treatment and harassment”. Referring to Tina’s case, the AAI stated “it speaks of
the lack of restraint and understanding on the part of Israel in general and
the Israeli border guard specifically. Ultimately, these types’ of actions do nothing to but cast a black eye on the state of Israel itself.”
For Tina and Michael, their trauma will have a lasting effect. Tina says “He was so excited. He was listening to the bible on his i-pod. He wanted to come a day earlier- he wanted to go everywhere. Where Jesus Christ was, where he was born: everything. Now he doesn’t want into town because he is too scared. He can’t look me in the eye because he feels responsible, that it’s his fault. He never wants to come back, neither do I. I’m never coming back for this again. That s probably the point, they don’t want anybody to come back. But you don’t want to live in fear every day, and every night.”
Tina, who is seeking legal action both in Israel and the US, ended the interview with a plea to the US government: “We need some help here, at least come and see how Palestinians are suffering.” Unfortunately many pleas have been before, and this certainly will not be the last.
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