BETHLEHEM,
West Bank, May 9 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Israeli
occupation forces gate-crashed Friday, May 9, the main office of the
International Solidarity Movement (ISM), arrested two female peace
advocates and a Palestinian employee in addition to confiscating
equipment and six computers.
"The
army invaded our office and arrested three people. Two are
internationals and another is a Palestinian. They also took a lot of
equipment, computers and hard disks," said Ghassan Andoni, an ISM
member who witnessed the Israeli raid on the groups' premises in the
town of Beit Sahur.
The
arrestees were Christine Razowsky, 28 from Chicago, and an Australian
woman who did not want her name released, as well as Palestinian Fida
Gharib, 22, a secretary for the organization, the Israeli Haaretz
daily reported quoting Israeli spokeswoman Laura Gordon.
Israeli
police spokesman Gil Kleiman said two foreigners had been handed over to
police custody and were being questioned for entering a restricted
military area.
The
interrogation documents and other evidence - including the computers -
will be used by the Israeli Interior Ministry to decide whether the
foreigners should be deported, Kleiman said.
Palestinian
witnesses said the building, which houses the ISM main office for the
Palestinian territories, was surrounded by 15 armored vehicles and
searched by soldiers, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).
A
Palestinian source close to the ISM said the Israeli raid was linked to
the investigation into the April 30 bombing attack by a British national
in Tel Aviv that left three fatal victims.
The
source, who wished to remain anonymous, said the Israeli army is
checking whether the ISM, which uses foreigners as human shields to
protect Palestinian civilians from the Israeli army, helped the attacker
enter Israel.
Andoni
said the Israeli soldiers gave no explanation when they entered the
office, and he denied any link between the ISM and the bomber, Assif
Mohammad Hanif.
"The
army is planning to evacuate all internationals from the territories and
that under any reason. They just don't want any witnesses for their
actions," he stressed.
"We
have our position very clear on suicide bombings: the ISM has no link
whatsoever with the Tel Aviv attack," Andoni said.
George
Rishmawi, a Palestinian official close to the group, also stressed that
Israel wanted to "deport any foreigner who supports us."
"We
consider these people to be international witnesses to the suffering of
the Palestinian people."
Press
reports have also indicated that Israeli authorities were considering
expelling all ISM members from Israel and the occupied Palestinian
territories.
