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| Middle East |
| Israel denies entry to ''peace activists'' |
| 2002-08-11 |
| Israel blocked American peace activists traveling with U.S. congressional staff members from entering the West Bank on Saturday, according to the activists, the State Department and an Israeli official. Really? Which congressional staff members? The activists were three representatives of the American Muslims for Jerusalem organization and Jews for Peace in Palestine and Israel organization, said Josh Ruebner, head of the latter group. He said they planned to meet with American and international humanitarian organizations during a fact-finding mission to the Palestinian territories and Israel. Izzat so? Y'mean they do something besides throwing red paint on military equipment and hanging out with Yasser when the going gets tough? "Since Israel has the sovereign right to decide who can enter Israel and who can't, we have the right to prevent groups who we know ahead of time are coming to demonstrate and cause provocation in places where Israeli soldiers are fighting terrorism," said Yaffa Ben-Ari, a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry. "So keep your asses out of our country, and the rest of you with them. Jerks." In Washington, the State Department said two of the three "coordinators" with the congressional staff members were denied entry into Israel when they arrived at the Allenby Bridge border crossing from Jordan. The congressional staff members then decided not to seek entry, the State Department said. And which congressional staff members were they? It wasn't immediately clear for which U.S. representatives the congressional staff members worked. The delegation could not be reached for comment, and Khalid Turaani, executive director of the American Muslims for Jerusalem, refused to provide their names. Brave of 'em. Wonder if we'll ever find out? My guess would be not... |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |