Israel's UK Ambassador Prosor still silent on Mohammed Omer assault case
Press Release, 8 August 2008
http://tinyurl.com/64k4me
Friends of Mohammed Omer have reminded the Israeli ambassador, Ron Prosor, that
they are still waiting after 5 weeks for an explanation of the vicious
assault by Israeli security officers on the award-winning journalist as he
returned home to his family in Gaza. Omer had been visiting European capitals
after winning the Martha Gellhorn prize for journalism in war, which was
presented to him in London.
The group had asked Mr Prosor to persuade the authorities in Israel
to investigate the incident and, if there was any truth in it, to make an
apology to Mr Omer for their brutal conduct, compensate him for the injury
and in future respect his right to go about his work unmolested.
Mohammed Omer was hospitalised with cracked ribs and other injuries, and is
still in pain. He is one of an increasing number of Arab journalists abused by
the Israeli secret service.
Comments from the group......
Mary Bedforth: "It is shameful that a journalist should have been so
ill-treated by members of the Israeli special police and left injured. Has
Israel no regard for law and order and are those responsible being
prosecuted?"
David Halpin: "There are many examples showing that Israel does not respect
law and order. For example, see Physicians for Human Rights - Israel
"Holding Health to Ransom: GSS Interrogation and Extortion of Palestinian
Patients at Erez Crossing".
http://www.phr.org.il/phr/article.asp?articleid=603&catid=55&pcat=-1&lang=ENG
In this, PHRI explains how Shin Bet violates the Fourth Geneva Convention and
the UN Convention Against Torture, as well as criminal law, in the way it
threatens and abuses sick Palestinian patients by refusing them permission to
leave Gaza for hospital treatment unless they agree to inform or spy on their
countrymen."
Stuart Littlewood: "From the many reports it appears to have been a racist
attack, the sort of thing Mr Prosor and his colleagues often complain about.
I'm disappointed he has not responded to our concerns."
Tim Williams: "Being Jewish myself I am particularly concerned that Israel
lives up to its stated ideals of decency. Actions speak louder than words."
- ends -
Text of message sent by friends of Palestinian journalist Mohammed Omer to
Israel's UK Ambassador Prosor
For the attention of
His Excellency RON PROSOR
Dear Ambassador Prosor,
We wrote to you over 5 weeks ago, on 29 June, asking for an explanation of
the assault and injuries inflicted on our friend Mohammed Omer by Shin Bet as
he returned home to Gaza via the Allenby Bridge crossing. He had been in
Europe as an honoured guest of Britain and other EU countries and is still
suffering physically and mentally from his ordeal at the hands of your county's
security personnel.
So far we have not received the courtesy of an acknowledgement let alone an
informative reply. We used the email address given on your Embassy website and
followed up with reminders on 1 July and 5 July. Given the extensive coverage
of the incident and wide international concern, an inquiry was presumably
carried out and we assumed that you would have shared its finding with us by
now.
We now seek a response, please, from an ambassador who very recently
expressed his great concern that Britain has become a hotbed of
anti-Israel views and begged for "values of fair play and even-handedness" to
be brought to the debate.
Sincerely,
(signatories)
Mary Bedforth
Barbara Mayhew
Nanny Brett
Anna Yandell
Felicity Arbuthnot
Tim Williams
Marshall Hopkins
Paul Maddison
Mark Brett
Stuart Littlewood
David Halpin
Redress Information & Analysis
Website - http://www.redress.cc
Newsblog - http://redressnewsblog.blogspot.com/
Redress Information & Analysis is dedicated to exposing injustice,
disinformation and bigotry and to providing thought-provoking interpretations
of current affairs.
Press Release, 8 August 2008
http://tinyurl.com/64k4me
Friends of Mohammed Omer have reminded the Israeli ambassador, Ron Prosor, that
they are still waiting after 5 weeks for an explanation of the vicious
assault by Israeli security officers on the award-winning journalist as he
returned home to his family in Gaza. Omer had been visiting European capitals
after winning the Martha Gellhorn prize for journalism in war, which was
presented to him in London.
The group had asked Mr Prosor to persuade the authorities in Israel
to investigate the incident and, if there was any truth in it, to make an
apology to Mr Omer for their brutal conduct, compensate him for the injury
and in future respect his right to go about his work unmolested.
Mohammed Omer was hospitalised with cracked ribs and other injuries, and is
still in pain. He is one of an increasing number of Arab journalists abused by
the Israeli secret service.
Comments from the group......
Mary Bedforth: "It is shameful that a journalist should have been so
ill-treated by members of the Israeli special police and left injured. Has
Israel no regard for law and order and are those responsible being
prosecuted?"
David Halpin: "There are many examples showing that Israel does not respect
law and order. For example, see Physicians for Human Rights - Israel
"Holding Health to Ransom: GSS Interrogation and Extortion of Palestinian
Patients at Erez Crossing".
http://www.phr.org.il/phr/article.asp?articleid=603&catid=55&pcat=-1&lang=ENG
In this, PHRI explains how Shin Bet violates the Fourth Geneva Convention and
the UN Convention Against Torture, as well as criminal law, in the way it
threatens and abuses sick Palestinian patients by refusing them permission to
leave Gaza for hospital treatment unless they agree to inform or spy on their
countrymen."
Stuart Littlewood: "From the many reports it appears to have been a racist
attack, the sort of thing Mr Prosor and his colleagues often complain about.
I'm disappointed he has not responded to our concerns."
Tim Williams: "Being Jewish myself I am particularly concerned that Israel
lives up to its stated ideals of decency. Actions speak louder than words."
- ends -
Text of message sent by friends of Palestinian journalist Mohammed Omer to
Israel's UK Ambassador Prosor
For the attention of
His Excellency RON PROSOR
Dear Ambassador Prosor,
We wrote to you over 5 weeks ago, on 29 June, asking for an explanation of
the assault and injuries inflicted on our friend Mohammed Omer by Shin Bet as
he returned home to Gaza via the Allenby Bridge crossing. He had been in
Europe as an honoured guest of Britain and other EU countries and is still
suffering physically and mentally from his ordeal at the hands of your county's
security personnel.
So far we have not received the courtesy of an acknowledgement let alone an
informative reply. We used the email address given on your Embassy website and
followed up with reminders on 1 July and 5 July. Given the extensive coverage
of the incident and wide international concern, an inquiry was presumably
carried out and we assumed that you would have shared its finding with us by
now.
We now seek a response, please, from an ambassador who very recently
expressed his great concern that Britain has become a hotbed of
anti-Israel views and begged for "values of fair play and even-handedness" to
be brought to the debate.
Sincerely,
(signatories)
Mary Bedforth
Barbara Mayhew
Nanny Brett
Anna Yandell
Felicity Arbuthnot
Tim Williams
Marshall Hopkins
Paul Maddison
Mark Brett
Stuart Littlewood
David Halpin
Redress Information & Analysis
Website - http://www.redress.cc
Newsblog - http://redressnewsblog.blogspot.com/
Redress Information & Analysis is dedicated to exposing injustice,
disinformation and bigotry and to providing thought-provoking interpretations
of current affairs.
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