For Immediate Release

[Beit Sahour, Occupied Palestine] At approximately 6:00 PM, May 10, 2003, Radika, a US citizen, Charlotte, a UK citizen, and Osama, a Palestinian coordinator working with the ISM, were detained by Israeli forces near Tulkarem in the West Bank.

Details on their apprehension are sketchy at this point. At this time we do not know where they are being held or if they will be deported. These are the latest apprehensions in a plan by the Israeli army to remove ISM from the West Bank and Gaza.

On Friday, May 9, 2003, Israeli forces raided the offices of the ISM and the nearby Rapprochement Center in Beit Sahour. Three women were taken into into custody, all of the center’s computers were confiscated and other equipment was damaged. Two of the women have been released. Flo, a US citizen, remains in custody. She has been told that she will be deported.

On Thursday evening, May 8, 2003, two British Internationals were detained at Erez border crossing at the entrance to the Gaza Strip. The internationals are Nick and Alice. Both are being held in a settlement in the Gaza Strip. They have been told that they are being deported.

Please call government officials to protest the illegal detentions and deportations.

Please protest:

In the US:
Contact your congressperson, the State Department and the White House using these links: http://www.cflweb.org/congress_merge_.htm or http://www.congress.gov.

Also call the State Department and demand action: 1- 202-647-5150

In the UK:
Please call The Foreign Office (020) 7008-1500, your MP and the Prime Minister.

In Israel
Israeli Minister of Interior
Tel: +972-2-629-4701
Fax: +972-2-629-4750

Israeli Foreign Minister, Silvan Shalom
Fax: +972-2-5303704
E-mail: sar@mofa.gov.il

Israeli Defense Minister, Shaul Mofaz
Fax: +972-3-6916940, 6976990
E-mail: sar@mod.gov.il

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
Fax: (+972-2) 566-4838 or 651-3955 or 651-2631

In Canada:
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bill Graham
House of Commons, Ottawa ON K1A 0A6
Fax 613-996-3443

Everywhere:
Contact the Israeli embassy in your country

For more information please call: George +972-2-54-351-339 or Ghassan +972-2-52-595-319, ISM Media Office, Beit Sahour, Occupied Palestine.

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