[GushShalom] Peaceniks `broke the law' by visiting Arafat / Haaretz, Sept. 14

[otherisr at actcom.net.il]

GUSH SHALOM [this was sent from an Infoteam holiday address]

FYI
----- Forwarded message from keller_adam at yahoo.com -----
     Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2003 
  Subject: Peaceniks `broke the law' by visiting Arafat / Haaretz, Sept. 14
       
Peaceniks `broke the law' by visiting Arafat   
 
By Jonathan Lis and Arnon Regular 
 
 
 
Police say a Gush Shalom delegation broke the law
on Saturday when it went to the Muqata in Ramallah
to express solidarity with Yasser Arafat and to
mark the 10th anniversary of the Oslo accords. 


 

  The delegation, led by veteran
peace activist Uri Avnery, and
including MKs Ahmed Tibi and
Issam Mahoul, Meretz activists
and others, promised Arafat
they would organize a "human
shield" to protect him from
government threats to "remove"
the PA leader. 

Invitations to join the human
 
shield operation went out on the Internet over
the weekend. Avnery told Israel Radio yesterday
he is convinced the government intends to
assassinate Arafat, not expel him. The
Palestinians have already placed a "human
shield" of civilians, including elderly people
and children, in the Muqata to protect Arafat. 

Police say the peace activists' trip to the
Muqata, where they also met Palestinian prime
minister-designate Ahmed Qureia, violated an
order issued by the Central Command two years
ago. This forbids Israelis from entering Area
A, the zones designated in the Wye River
Plantation agreement as under full Palestinian
control. 

A similar police investigation was prompted a
year ago after former Meretz leader Shulamit
Aloni went to Ramallah to meet with Arafat.
Nothing came of that inquiry. 

Avnery yesterday sounded bemused by the police
probe. "They are welcome. If necessary we'll
stand trial for our peace work, if it is
defined as breaking the law."