IPSC also shows support for hunger strikers in Dublin vigil
The Ireland-Palestine Soli-darity Campaign (IPSC) has called for the unconditional release by the Israeli authorities of the artistic director of the West Bank’s Freedom Theatre.
IPSC chair Martin O’Quigley decried the detention of Nabil Al-Raee, who he said was “abducted” in the early hours of Wednesday 6 June from the West Bank city of Jenin.
“The IPSC condemns this act of cultural repression by the Israeli occupation forces,” he said in a statement where he highlighted “previous similar attacks” on the theatre, which he described as “an internationally renowned and respected artistic company”.
O’Quigley added: “This abduction can only be seen as a targeted act of intimidation and harassment of Palestinian artists by Israel’s apartheid regime.”
In a statement by Nabil’s wife Micaela Miranda, which was made available to us by the IPSC, she said her husband is being detained unlawfully by the Israeli army.
“According to Nabil’s lawyer, Smadar Ben-Natan, he is presently being held in the Jalameh detention centre north of Jenin, inside Israel,” she said. “This has been the only information given to the lawyer thus far.
“The interrogations at Jalameh and other military detention centres commonly involve inhuman treatment, sleep deprivation, psychological pressure and binding in painful positions. ”
Miranda alleged that this was the fourth time the Israeli Defense Forces had attacked the Freedom Theatre, its employees and members of their families following the murder in April 2011 of the theatre’s founder, Jewish director and activist Juliano Mer Khamis.
“On numerous occasions the Freedom Theatre has expressed its full co-operation in the investigation of the murder in of Juliano Mer-Khamis and has proved this co-operation by meeting every requested appointment.”
She also condemned any attempt to link the Freedom Theatre with the murder of Mer-Khamis, and urged “all supporters of the Freedom Theatre specifically and protectors of art and culture in general” to lobby their nearest Israeli representative office for the immediate release of Nabil Al-Raee and end the “systematic harassment” of the theatre and its associates.
Meanwhile, last week the IPSC held a vigil in solidarity with hunger striking Palestin-ian prisoners.
Participants at the vigil, held at the Spire on Dublin’s O’Connell Street, wore Palestinian jerseys to show their support.
The IPSC said two of the hunger strikers – Mahmoud Sarsak, a member of the Palestinian national soccer team, and Akram Rikhawi – are near the point of death in Israeli prisons.
At press time a third prisoner, Samer al-Baraq, had been on hunger strike for over 20 days.
O’Quigley said the situation was very unfortunate and called for ”meaningful action” against Israel, specifically a campaign of “boycott, divestment and sanctions” until it “complies fully with its obligations under international law and the Palestinian people enjoy true freedom, justice and equality”.
At press time there was no official comment from the Israeli Embassy in Dublin.
