israel army holds 2 tds at gunpoint

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Thursday June 09, 2005 00:14 by Herald reader

Cover page of Evening Herald, Tuesday 7 June 2005

The Headline of yersterday's Evening Herald reads:
OUTRAGE AS ISRAELI ARMY HOLDS 2 TDs AT GUNPOINT
'They took aim at us' -John Gormely
ISRAELI soldiers aimed loaded rifles at shocked TDs on a tour of a West Bank town.
(Newspiece by Michael Lavery that I reproduce here for Indymedia, for those who didn't get a chance to read it)

"The TDs, including John Gormley and Tony Gregory, were searched twice within 20 metres in the flashpoint town of Hebron. The tense incidents happened as the delegation of TDs visited the area as part of a fact finding mission yesterday afternoon.
Now Green Party leader Mr Gormley has reported the incident officially to the United Nations.
The incident took place two days after the draw between Ireland and Israel at Lansdowne Road, where the Israelis have claimed they were made feel unwelcome by the Irish.
There is no evidence however of any connection between the armed incident involving the deputies and hostile coverage of the game in the Israeli press.
John Gormley today described how the armed drama unfolded: "As we entered down an abandoned arcade in the company of some Palestinian officials, two Israeli soldiers shouted at us, then took up shooting positions."
"When the Palestinians explained that we were parliamentarians, the soldiers ran off towards the checkpoint.
"At the checkpoint, independent TD Tony Gregory asked the soldiers to explain their actions.
"They repied tht their actions were 'classified'," Mr Gormley said.
"We were then searched at the checkpoint."
"Twnety metres later, we were serched again at a second checkpoint just in front of the mosque in the old city of Hebron.
Going through the divided city of Hebron -there are frequent clashes between Jewish settlers and Palestinians- was "an errie experience for all of the Oireachtas delegation," he said.
"The only real visible presence around the desolate strets are the soldiers."
Mr Gormley added: "Not only is the behaviour of the Israeli soldiers involved in the incident unacceptable, the behaviour of the Israeli Government in the West Bank and Gaza is deplorable."
"What we witnessed on our trip this weekend is worse than the apartheid regime in South Africa," said Mr Gormley, who flies home today.
The parliamentary delegation which arived in the Middle East on Saturday included Mr Gormley and Mr Gregory, Labour TD Eamonn Gilmore, Sinn Fein TD Aengus O'Snodaigh, Fianna Fail Senator Terry Leyden and Fine Gael Senator John Paul Phelan.
The delegation also included public relations officer Ms Euileen Dunne.
They met with Palestinian MPs and politicians, visited Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Hebron where they held talks with members of the Council from the district of Hebron yesterday afternoon.
They also met Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmad Qure'i and Foreign Minister Dr Nasser Al-Qudwa."