Looks like we’re in the infant stages of breaking the Israeli gag on reporting the kidnapping, extraordinary rendition, & imprisonment of Dirar Abu Seesi, first in a Shabak torture facililty and now in Shikma Prison. Rechavia Berman has published the news at his blog. So far it has not been taken down. But Haggai Mattar reported the story in MySay (motto: “a free press in Israel,” turns out not so free). That story was taken down.
I’m trying to interview Abu Seesi’s wife, Veronika in Ukraine, but she doesn’t speak English and I’m trying to surmount the language barrier by finding someone in her family who can translate for me. Interviewing his sister in Gaza is also impossible as they don’t speak English either.
Abu Seesi’s family in Ukraine tells me AP may be publishing a story soon, which would go a long way toward pressuring the secret police to remove the gag. I’ve approached a number of media outlets, among them the Daily Beast and London Review of Books, which have expressed no interest in the story, which simply astonishes me. But there is yet hope as I’m about to send a draft to a Jewish publication which may publish.
What I simply don’t understand is that Israel has violated mutiple international laws and UN convenants in performing this extraordinary rendition and yet very few seem interested. Where’s the outrage, everyone? Won’t someone beside me (and the two journalists I mention above) stand up for a Gaza civil engineer with six children now held secretly in the Israeli Gulag? Break the gag now.
I share your outrage.
In the USA, and in Israel, in now appears, the publics are made to consider that whatever the government does is OK, even necessary (probably necessary for “security” reasons or as an “anti-terrorist” measure, whatever the then-current consent-acquiring buzz-words are), even if they break local law, national law, international law, human-rights conventions, etc. Not that the media expend much effort mentioning these (now only very slightly embarrassing) juridical details.
In short, “Rule of Law”-consciousness is less even than skin deep. with government, with media, with public. In many cases.
And the judiciaries in both countries usually back up the government. “Secret evidence? Well, of course, keep it secret, don’t even show it to the judge much less to the defendant or his lawyer, but it will be credited by the court as if it had survived the most searching cross-examination.”
In short, “Rule of Law”-consciousness is less even than skin deep. even with the judiciary. In many cases.
gulag ?
Why don’t you call it a death camp ?
it’s a prison near ashkelon not more then that.
it’s not guantanamo.
the world is more interested in the Libya massacre.
and you ?
Why gulag? Because you’re holding an innocent Palestinian which you kidnapped breaking multiple internationa laws. Because you also housed & hounded Mordecai Vanunu there. Oh yes, gulag is quite apt. Israel’s gulag.
It is now in all Israel news. Yediot, Haaretz, Maariv,….
Speaking of nefarious goings on, anyone know what’s up with Mondoweiss? seems to have been the object of an attack of some sort, or am I just imagining things?
Notice how the only thing the talkbacks have to say is that since he was born in jordan, he is not really palestinian. Which then proves that there is no palestinian nation.
We past the denial stage, then the justification stage, and these days we’re at “lets laugh at stupid arabs”.
Maybe I should slap myself and wake up. This insanity can’t be real.
Haha oh but it is. Also note how everyone says it’s not a credible claim because proof was not presented (a legitimate argument) and that it was made by his wife, who is an Arab.
As I don’t read Hebrew I can’t verify the article but Dirar Abu Sisi’s wife is NOT Arab. She’s from Ukraine, that’s why he was there. So people apparently comment on articles they don’t even read ;-(
Yeah I mean to say that’s what people are saying, not present it as a fact.
Silly ynet talkbackers…
Are these talkbacks perchance from the same people who claim that “Jordan = Palestine”?
Richard-
Odd isn’t it?!…Is it something in the water that turns peoples brain to fog and mush whenever israel has taken rogue actions. As often as its happened I am dismayed and shocked every time that there is no pursuit to justice with that picaroon government. I was hoping you’d explain it.
LRB has sustained many vitriolic attacks against it for publishing articles which discuss Palestinian issues & Zionist actions in ways never seen or experienced in the US. Threats against them were evident in December or later discussing the amount of UK tax dollars which were budgeted for LRB–Their “disinterested?” perhaps they’re becoming more caution as to which battles to fight. This seems like as clear cut as any we’ve had in the last few years so I wish you success with LRB. Daily Beast however never struck me as willing to put its head on the chopping block concerning Israeli criticism. In either case I hope you nail it. thanks for breaking the news
Morning,17.03.2011,in Petar-Tikva,is another trial on the exstantion of mr.Derar arrest.He is forbidden to meet for the first time with his personal lawers to17.00.Prosecutors may exstand the ban…Personal lawers will try anything to meet mr.Derar for the first time ..Every tear of our children,six small citizens of Ukraine,should be counted in Ukraine,Israel and Palestinian Authority.I hope that they wake up and help us and punish perperators and our family will remember these crual events as a nightmare..With regards Veronika Abusisi