Kawther Salam's Diary 

Hell made in Israel (8/7/02)

letters of support for Kawther Salam

The Israeli Civil Administration, never take care about the Palestinians civil issues.

The Civil Administration, is taking just care of grant permits to build new settlements or use Palestinians property to serve the settlers interests.

These are some of the International letters that the civil administration received, concerning to grant me a travel permit to access through the Ben Gurion Airport.

From Germany, the Israeli embassy in Berlin and both the Generals Amos Gila'ad and Dov Tzadaka received the letter bellow;

Ludwig Thallemer 30th of June 2002

Immanual Kant Strabe 8

D-78166 Donauschingen

Baden- Wurttemberg/ Germany

URGENT

Concern: Request for access permit to Ben-Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv, for Palestinian journalist KAWTHER... from Hebron.

Passport NO:...

ID No:...

Dear Sir, the above-mentioned Palestinian Miss Kawther Salam is denied access to the TelAviv Ben Gurion for no obvious reasons. She is in possession of a valid European Press card and a Schengen Visa for Europe.

I therefore do request you to grant her a permission of access to Ben-Gurion airport; I'd like to notify you, that this is a URGENT concern, the flight being until the 5th of July.

With thanks for your serious efforts,

Yours sincerely

Ludwig Thallemer


From: Quidam-quidam

To: General Amos Gila'ad

General Dov Tzadaka

Date: July 5, 2002

Re: Ms. Kawther Salam

Spain,

Subject: Requesting Access Permit to Ben Gurion Airport

Dear Generals,

The Palestinian Journalist Kawther Salam, holding the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ Press card No: PA638), and Passport NO: ...Has requested your office for access permit to Ben Gurion Airport, TelAviv, since 13th, June 2002.

Kawther Salam received the necessary visas from Europe and she has not received a reply from your office for her travel permit. We hope that you will be able to grant her a travel permit before 8 of July 2002.

Kawther Salam is a famous International Palestinian journalist, a peace activist and a defender of human rights. The world is following her on the web site of Gush Shalom, and waiting for your Excellency to grant her the necessary permit to access through Ben Gurion Airport

Thank you very much,


International Federation of Journalists

Fax Massage

To: Generals Amos Gila'ad, Dov Tzadaka,

From: Sarah De Jong, Human Rights Officer

Date: 3 July 2002

Dear Generals,

The international Federation of Journalists was contacted by one of it's members, Kawther Salam, a Palestinian journalist (IFJ press card number: PA638). It appears that she is unable to receive a travel document to travel to Austria.She has been invited to come to Austria and has received the necessary visas.

Unfortunately, there has been no reply from the Israel authorities upon her application for a travel permit which would enable her to fly from Ben Gurion airport on 7 July 2002. Mr. Salam is an internationally known Palestinian journalist and human rights defender.

We hope you will facilitate her travel permit. Should you have any question, please do not to hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

Sarah de Jong

Human Rights & Safety Officer

International Press Center, Residence Palace, Block C

rue de la lio 155, b-1040 Brussels

Belgium


Date: July 2, 2002

To: Generals Amos Gila'ad and Tzadaka

Re: Travel Permit for Kawther Salam

We, the undersigned American citizens, are writing concerning the delay in granting Kawther Salam's request for a permit to travel through Ben Gurion Airport.

We are very concerned that someone of Ms. Salam's position would be delayed in receiving such a permit. Ms. Salam is well known here in the United States as both a respected journalist, and a person committed to working for peace and the human rights of all people. She has already suffered much by the IDF occupying the roof of her home in Hebron and we feel this should be granted immediately. We hope that you both will do everything in your power to help Ms. Salam obtain the permit in a timely manner.

Respectfully,

18 signatures


From: Ilanna Mandel

West 20th Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 1Y4 989

TO: Generals Amos Gia'ad

Subject: Travel Permit

July 5, 2002

Dear Generals, Amos Gia'ad and Dov Tzadaka,

I am a professional rehabilitation counselor (Registration No. MAN110100-R) and writer living in Canada. As such, I have recently become aware that a professional journalist living in Israel, by the name of Kawther Salam wishes to travel to Europe for medical treatment. This is the most human of requests and I see no reason to deny her.

Ms. Salam is a credentialed journalist and only seeks to travel for human reasons. For this reasons, I argue you most strongly to allow her to pass through Ben Gurion Airport on July 7, 2002 peacefully in order to fly to Europe. Her significant information is below.

ID NO:....

Passport NO:....

Date of travel 7th, July 2002

Press Card No: (AP638) issued the International Federation of Journalists in Europe

I trust there is no reason to deny Ms. Salam the opportunity to travel and hope you will treat her with the dignity accorded all other travelers who only wish to journey in peace.

sincerely,

Ilanna Mandel


After calling the civil administration office in Beit Il, the General Tzadaka assistant informed me, that the (Intelligence Shabak, wants to meet me, and they transferred all of these letters to the General Amos Gila'ad's office to deal with the issue and identified the time and the " Shabak " that's wants to meet me and give them his advise.

The same officer who talked with my friend Dina Lee, confirmed that I'm not allowed to access through " Alembi Bridge " too, without meeting the Shabak!!

The same office of the General Tzadaka responded to the journalist " Ada Ushbez " , from " Haaretz " newspaper two hours after he gave " Dina Lee " his first response, contradicting what he told us. He said, that we can't grant any travel permit to the Palestinians to access through Ben Gurion Airport and the case you requested can travel through Alembi Bridge.

The same officer asked the journalist if she wants to write about this issue in the newspaper, and when she said yes, he asked her to wait unless he check the issue again!!