dances in the madhouse

On the 3rd of March 2005, I left my home in the United
States for Israel.

This was my third trip of this kind, in order to work
on the ground in Occupied Palestine, in solidarity
with Palestinians and their allies opposing the
Israeli Occupation of Palestine.

I was expecting trouble upon arriving at Ben Gurion
Airport near Tel Aviv, as I had been forcibly expelled
by the Israeli Authorities one year before due to this
same work against the occupation.

My expulsion at that time was based on false charges
brought against me by the Israeli Ministry of Interior
stating that I had resided illegally in Israel.

When I arrived to Ben Gurion on the 4th of March, I
was pulled aside at passport control, as I had
expected.

I was taken to a security room where my bags were
searched for over an hour. The entirety of my
belongings was gone through, including my toothpaste,
books, and food.

After the search was over, I expected to be taken to
an officer of the Shin Bet (Intelligence Agency) for
an interrogation. I was looking forward to this
interrogation, as I was planning to be open and
upfront about my beliefs and opposition to the
occupation, and expecting to have to fight their order
to expel me based on that honesty.  

To my surprise, I was never taken to the Shin Bet.
After my belongings were searched I was told by an
agent of some sort that I was not allowed into Israel
because I had been there one year before without a
visa.

I was then handed over to an immigration policeman and
taken to the Ben Gurion Detention Center. This center
is for individuals awaiting expulsion from Israel. I
was put in a room with two Swedish women who were also
being denied entry into Israel and were awaiting a
flight out.

I was told by the head policeman at this facility that
I would be put on an airplane at 5am the next morning.
I told him that I had a lawyer, was fighting being
denied entry and refused to willingly get on the
airplane.

For hours, every time this officer would come near my
cell he would repeat to me that I would be put on a
plane at 5am the next morning.  Every time he told me
this, I would repeat to him that I would not get on
that airplane.

At 4am the next morning, this same officer plus one,
came to my cell and told me to get ready for my
flight. Once again, I told them I would not be
entering that flight and that I was only trying to
save them time and energy instead of them having to
drag me and all my luggage to the airport and back.
Every time I reiterated that I would not be taking the
flight, the officer became increasingly aggressive
with me, yelling and threatening physical force.
Being scared of the officers physically hurting me,
and realizing that resisting them taking me to the
plane would probably not work, I told them that I
would go with them, but I would not take the flight.

In an immigration police van, I was taken to the
airplane, escorted by two immigration officers up an
external staircase and into the passenger entryway of
the plane. My ticket and passport was handed to the
flight attendant at the door, who seemed to be
expecting my arrival. I immediately approached her and
told her, in front of the passengers entering the
plane, that I was being put on this flight against my
will and would not cooperate with the rules if they
kept me on the flight.

After moving into a quieter corner, the flight
attendant asked me to repeat myself, and questioned
what kind of trouble I would cause if I was kept on
the flight. I told her that I would not sit in my
seat, would not turn off my cell phone, and that I
would talk loudly throughout the aisles.

She seemed taken aback and went to speak with the head
flight attendant, who then came to hear my story. I
repeated to him what I had told the first attendant
and was told to wait while they spoke with the police
who were waiting outside to ensure that I was on the
flight when it took off.

During this time, I was shaking considerably as I was
scared to not be refused by the flight crew. One of
the other attendants seemed to notice my anxiety and
gave me a glass of lemonade to sip.

I was called to where the head attendant and the
immigration officers were talking and told by one of
the officers that I had two choices; willingly go on
this flight, or be put on a flight at 9pm that night
in handcuffs and shackles with an armed guard sitting
next to me. I told him that I would not be getting on
this flight willingly. He repeated again that I had
two choices, I again repeated that I would not
willingly get on the flight.

The officers became angry with me at that point and
began to tell me that I was putting myself in a bad
position. They handcuffed me, shackled my feet and
took me back to the detention center.

At the detention center, I was put into solitary
confinement. It was dark outside, yet the lights in my
cell were turned on and not shut off until midday.
Beginning that morning, I was treated quite
aggressively by the guards.

I was not allowed to call my lawyer at any point in
time, I was not given food for a twenty hour period,
the lights in my cell were only turned on starting at
2am, and every time one of the guards passed my cell,
they kicked and pounded at my door.

I was told that I was to be taken to a plane at 4pm
that day and there was no way I could refuse, that
they would use as much force as necessary to get me on
the flight.

I spent six hours in fear of that impending flight,
not sure if I had the energy to withstand another
attempt on their part to send me off, but knowing that
I was not interested in leaving.

One hour before my threatened flight, my lawyers were
able to get a freeze on me being kicked out without
first seeing a judge. I was relieved that at least for
a day or two, I would not have to worry so much about
being stuck on a plane, although the immigration
police quite often put people on planes while they are
awaiting court dates.

I still was not allowed phone calls to my lawyers, fed
nor had lights except after 2am.

I had been expecting a court date either Sunday or
Monday, so was not surprised when the guard came and
told me to get ready to leave. He affirmed that we
were going to court when I asked him, but then told me
to gather my bags. I became confused and asked him why
I would take my bags to court, but he said we were not
going to court, we were going to the airport.
Immediately, I began to refuse, thinking that we were
heading to another airplane. He told me that I had
won, I was to get a visa and be allowed into Israel.

I was shocked. At first I didn't believe the
officer
and though he was only trying to trick me, but I got
in the van with him. We went to the airport, and after
thirty minutes, I had a visa and was sitting in a car
to Jerusalem.

My lawyers were able to get me in on a loophole that
the Israeli authorities created for themselves. Upon
my expulsion last year, the Ministry of Interior
signed an agreement with my lawyer that I would be
allowed back into Israel as long as they didn&'t
find
new evidence of me being a security threat.

Over 130 internationals that work with the ISM and
other international peace groups that work against the
occupation have been black listed by the government of
Israel for their peace work.

This tactic on the part of the Israeli government
attempts to criminalize activists that do not agree
with their policies in order to eliminate outside
witnesses whom bring international attention to the
daily atrocities created by the violent military
occupation of Palestine.

This time around, I have been able to beat the system.
Next time, I might not be as lucky as so many other
internationals haven't been, and as so many
thousands
of Palestinians aren't every day.