Australian government must pressure Israel to release activists imprisoned in Tel Aviv
MEDIA RELEASE July 12, 2011
Vivienne Porzsolt (pictured in centre), spokesperson for Jews Against the Occupation and a member of the East Sydney branch of the Socialist Alliance, was arrested at Tel Aviv airport on July 11.
Her crime? Trying to visit Palestine.
Ms Porzsolt joined the Freedom Flotilla 2 along with hundreds of other pro-Palestine activists from around the world.
Three other Australians, including former Greens NSW MP Sylvia Hale (on left) and youth worker Michael Coleman (on right), also took part in the protest which was aimed at highlighting the illegal blockade of Gaza.
Following a series of attempts to leave Greece, she and Ms Hale decided to visit Palestine at the invitation of Dr Mazin Qumsiyeh, a co-founder of the Palestine Right to Return Coalition.
But on arriving at the Tel Aviv airport, Ms Porzsolt was arrested on July 11, along with Ms Hale. They are challenging the arrest.
The previous day dozens of other international activists were arrested when they landed at the same airport. They too were invited to visit by Palestinians.
Ms Porzsolt and Ms Hale were keen to visit Bethlehem – the sister city of Marrickville council.
Before leaving to join the Freedom Flotilla 2, Ms Porzsolt she said she could not abide what Israel is doing to Palestine.
“As a Jew I feel a special obligation to oppose it in the traditions of Jewish ethics abandoned by Israel and its Zionist supporters …
“I am sailing on the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza to help pose a real challenge to the cruel, illegal imprisonment of the people of Gaza and to make it visible to the world. We hope to shame all those governments who are complicit with this injustice and lawlessness. Ordinary people must act when their governments won’t.”
Vivienne Porzsolt has been a courageous and consistently active Palestinian rights supporter within the Jewish community in the face of hostility and denigration from Zionists.
Fellow Jewish activists are very concerned that Ms Porzsolt could be subject to the harshest treatment by Israeli authorities while in detention. They are also calling on the Australian government to act immediately to ensure that she and the other activists are released and their visit to Bethlehem facilitated.
What does Israel have to fear, they ask?
Socialist Alliance is asking concerned people to contact Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd’s office on (02) 6277 7500 or Fax (02) 6273 4112 or email kevin.rudd@dfat.gov.au
For more information contact Pip Hinman on 0412 139 968
Recent Comments