Post by RedFlag32 on Mar 15, 2006 22:29:12 GMT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
15 March 2006
Irish Republican Socialist Committees of North America
IRSCNA Condemns Israeli Siege of Jericho Prison
On behalf of the Irish Republican Socialist Movement, the Irish
Republican Socialist Committees of North America issue the
following statement condemning Israel's assault on Palestine's Jericho
Prison and the arrest of six members of the Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine, including PFLP General Secretary Ahmad Sa'adat.
On Tuesday, 14 March 2006, the Israel Defense Forces laid siege to
Jericho Prison in the West Bank to arrest six PFLP activists,
including those who allegedly ordered and carried out the 2001
assassination of Israeli cabinet minister Rehavam Ze'evi. The siege
occurred only after American and British monitors, stationed there as
part of a compromise reached between Israel and the Palestinian
Authority, deliberately withdrew from their posts, making the US and
Britain complicit in what happened.
Israel considers Sa'adat to be the mastermind of the Ze'evi
assassination. Although held in a Palestinian prison as part of the
compromise between Israel and the PA, Sa'adat ran for election to the
new Palestinian parliament from his prison cell and six weeks ago won
a seat in the parliament. PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas was under pressure
to release a man the Palestinian people elected to office and Hamas
said they would release him once they formed the new government.
Rather than see him released, Israel decided to lay siege to the
prison until he and the five other PFLP activists surrendered and were
taken into Israeli custody. During the siege, three Palestinians were
killed. In response, Abu Jbarah, a spokesperson for the Abu Ali
Mustafa Brigades (the PFLP's military wing), stated that "we will
respond and respond strongly whether he is harmed or not."
In conclusion, we in the Irish Republican Socialist Movement condemn
Israel's siege of Jericho Prison in violation of Palestinian
sovereignty. We also condemn the arrest of an elected member of the
Palestinian parliament and five other activists imprisoned for their
roles in the national liberation struggle of the Palestinian people.
This was undoubtedly a deliberate provocation by Israeli Acting Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert in an attempt to boost his image before the
upcoming election in Israel. We condemn Olmert and the Israeli
government while we stand in solidarity with our allies in the PFLP
and the Palestinian people. To the latter we quote the last words of
Irish National Liberation Army hunger striker Patsy O'Hara: "Let the
fight go on!"
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Irish Republican Socialist Committees of North America
PO Box 8266
Austin TX 78713-8266
USA
irscna@irsm.org
www.irscna.org/
www.irsm.org/irsm.html