Press Releases & Updates 2003

Angie Zelter (52) was on her way back to Israel to give evidence in three cases involving settlers using violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Part of her work with the International Womens Peace Service is to collect evidence of human rights abuses and in the absence of any proper investigations by the police she was prepared to put this evidence before the courts.

She said ’There is a complete lack of rule of law in the West Bank. It’s very hard to achieve any kind of conflict resolution when there is no peaceful way for Palestinians to find justice through the courts. The justiciary themselves chose to authorise my deportation rather than allow me to stay and give evidence, and this makes it clear that the Israeli courts do not wish to hear about human rights abuses carried out by armed settlers, some of whom are from the Kach and Kahane Chai terrorist organisations, supposedly outlawed by Israel and the US. Many Israelis are working for peace but if the Palestinians don’t have access to the courts to seek justice then the cycle of violence will continue. The other reason I’m not ’welcome in the state of Israel’ is that I’m working closely with Israelis who come into the West Bank with internationals and are shocked by the human rights abuses that they witness. This is adding to the split in Israeli society.’

The first case Angie was due to give evidence at was of a settler who attacked her and ripped the camera from round her neck thereby stealing the photographic evidence she had of a 75 year old man being attacked by Hebron settlers. This man later died of his injuries. The settler was never charged with destroying evidence and has now pled guilty to the attack on Angie, receiving only a slap on the wrist, therefore avoiding the court hearing anything about this old mans death at the hands of settlers.

There are two other cases due to come to court where Angie has photographs and testimonies about armed settlers shooting at Palestinians during the olive harvest in October 2002.

Angie Zelter arrived on Sunday Dec 29th at Ben Gurion Airport, Tel-Aviv, and was detained as a ’security risk’, denied entrance to Israel and was told she would be immediately put on a flight back to Britain. Her lawyer, attorney Shamai Leibowitz filed a petition in the Tel Aviv district court. Angie avoided being deported without even a court hearing when an Austrian Airlines pilot refused to take off after the Head of the Immigration Police had dragged her forcefully onto the plane.

On Tuesday, December 31, at the District Court in Tel Aviv, judge, Ruth Eliaz, authorised the deportation, telling her she wasn’t wanted in the State of Israel because of her work with the International Women’s Peace Service (IWPS) and because she had disrupted the demolition of Palestinian homes ordered by the government. Forty Israeli citizens who there present to support Angie told the court that they did want her there. After the verdict a large group of peace activists - among them Rabbi Arik Asherman - surrounded Angie in an effort to prevent police from taking her away and were themselves forcibly removed from the courtroom by security personnel.

Angie’s lawyer appealed to the Supreme Court to stop the deportation but this was rejected. A further appeal to the High Court is in progress and several civil suits have also been filed.

Photos of armed settlers attacking Palestinians are available.

See also http://www.womenspeacepalestine.org

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