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Middle East
Peace Brigade member sues Israel
2003-11-05
Hat tip LGF
Tel Aviv—Canadian Member of the 2D Farces Peace Brigade member political activist Reck Desh Mustafa Henaway testified in a Tel Aviv court yesterday he was the victim of racial profiling by Israeli police when they detained him for 30 hours last month without producing an arrest warrant. The testimony was part of a hearing in a $6,700 suit Desh Henaway has launched against the government of Israel. The 24-year-old political science major at York University accuses Israeli security authorities of false arrest, negligence and causing him emotional stress. "Because of my ethnic background, I was clearly singled out and targeted," said Desh Henaway, who spoke with the help of a Hebrew translator. "I looked like the archetype suicide bomber."

Desh Henaway was born in Canada to parents who immigrated from Egypt. Attorney Shamai Leibowitz said yesterday’s proceedings marked the first time a foreign anti-humanitarian worker had sued the Israeli government for false arrest and emotional abuse during questioning. The government plans to respond formally to the accusations within 45 days. Henaway arrived in the country July 8 as a volunteer for the Peace Brigade International Solidarity Movement, a group that brings in foreign nationals — mostly from North America and Europe — who agree to serve as "human shields" to protect Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and Gaza from the Israeli army. Israel views Peace Brigade International Solidarity Movement Supporters of evil volunteers as a band of meddlers who make the army’s job more difficult by inserting themselves in the middle of a war zone.
And trying to help the Jews get slaughtered.
Henaway spent most of his time in the West Bank city of Jenin, escorting Palestinians who were breaking curfew in an area known as a beehive of militant activity. On Oct. 14, Israeli police and soldiers forced him to leave the West Bank, declaring the Palestinian village in which he was staying a "closed military zone." The following day, as Desh Henaway and two colleagues boarded a taxi in northern Israel, police appeared and took the Canadian into custody after noticing his visa had expired. "They just pulled up and said that I looked suspicious," he said.
"Y'ain't from around here, air yew?"
Over the next day, Desh Henaway was interrogated by agents of Israel’s Shin Bet security service as well as police, who accused him of involvement in terrorist activities. Desh Henaway said his Israeli minders used demeaning insults like "Arab dog," but he wasn’t physically abused. Desh Henaway, a Toronto native, was released Oct. 16 but ordered to leave the country by today.
"Get the hell out and don't come back!"
Yesterday’s court proceedings were held to gather his testimony before his departure. Leibowitz, who usually defends international activists against Israeli efforts to deport them, said Desh’s Henaway’s suit could set a precedent that would force authorities to treat the activists differently. "Dozens of them are arrested, and here is a guy who decided to sue, and not just take this abuse and go back to his country," he said. At yesterday’s hearing, government attorney Yariv Ligumsky tried to expose inconsistencies between Desh’s Henaway’s testimony and an affidavit he signed.
Posted by:Atrus

#8  If he's complaining about this, he should go to Iran. They treat Canadians really well over there.
Posted by: Charles   2003-11-5 2:23:35 PM  

#7   "They didn't turn me into a newt!"
Is he bragging, or complaining? If he doesn't like his treatment, they can always give him another. Maybe he can be an organ doner following the next Palestinian bombing. He seems to like to "volunteer".
Posted by: Old Patriot   2003-11-5 12:02:06 PM  

#6  "inconsistencies between Desh’s Henaway’s testimony and an affidavit he signed." You mean he lied? Why do the Israelis put up with these people? They are a security threat and overtly aid terrorism, kick them to the curb. And kick this guy twice.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge (VRWC CA Chapter)   2003-11-5 12:01:49 PM  

#5  1) Steal his Canadian passport
2) Replace it with a faked Syrian passport and a couple of others, including a real Yemeni passport.
3) "Discover" that the Yemeni is the only valid one
4) Ship his ass to Yemen. Let them worry about him.
Posted by: mojo   2003-11-5 11:37:38 AM  

#4  "I looked like the archetype suicide bomber."

Your honor, the State of Israel rests its case.
Posted by: john bragg   2003-11-5 11:33:33 AM  

#3  [P]olice... took the Canadian into custody after noticing his visa had expired.
There you go--doesn't look like your lawsuit has any legs.

[H]e wasn’t physically abused.
"They didn't turn me into a newt!"
Posted by: Dar   2003-11-5 11:21:39 AM  

#2  "after noticing his visa had expired"
No harm no foul on the Israelis--wish we'd start enforcing our visa/immigration laws like that!
Posted by: Not Mike Moore   2003-11-5 11:17:25 AM  

#1  Next time, make him a Caterpiller Hood Ornament...
Posted by: tu3031   2003-11-5 11:06:33 AM  

00:00