Friends,

Thank you to everyone that mobilized around the detention of the 13 ISM activists after the Thursday May 3 effort to take food and put an international human shield inside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Here is a brief update about all of us, and a plea for more action:

Ida Fasten (Sweden) – the young girl that never turned up after she was thrown out of an Israeli military jeep in the middle of the night with no ID and no phone – she is OK, in a Palestinian community and laying low.

Jeff Kingham ( USA), John Carusso (USA) – were forced on a plan on the morning of Saturday May 4 and are now back in the US.

James Hanna (USA) – forced on a plane on Saturday May 4. Currently in Germany where he is residing.

Johannes Wahlstrom (Sweden) – forced on a plane on Sunday May 5. Now in Sweden.

Joanna Harrison (UK ), Marcia Tubbs (UK) and Katie Thomas (UK) – forced on a plane on Tuesday May 7

Huwaida Arraf (USA) – I was approached by the Israeli Ministry of Interior with a response to my demand for a letter that I would leave the country of my own free will and that no ban would be placed on my returning. This was after my colleagues above were already deported. After we worked out the wording of the letter and both I and lawyer Leah Tsemel received assurances that the same letter would be given to four American men that remained in an Israeli prison, I agreed and was taken right from prison to the airport. Only one hour after arriving in New York (Wednesday, May 8) I learned that the Israeli Ministry of Interior reneged on their agreement vis a vis the other four Americans.

Now, four young American men remain in Israeli prison and are on hunger strike (one of them, Trevor, is on his 7 th day and the other 3 are on their 5 th day). They are:

Trevor Baumgartner – Seattle, Washington

Thomas Koutsoukos – Lake Forest, Illinois

Nathan Mauger – Spokane, Washington

Nathan Musselman – Roanoke, Virginia

These four men need your help. They, like the rest of us, were never arrested by the Israeli authorities. They were dragged out of Palestinian territory (Bethlehem), by Israeli forces, held in detention and presented with deportation orders. For protesting this deportation and lack of due process, they remain prisoners – held without charge, hostages of the Israeli Authorities. The four men are asking to be allowed to go home, but of their own free will, for they will not accept the legitimacy of an occupation force to keep them from working with the Palestinian people, now and in the future.

ACTION REQUESTED

Please call and / or fax the American Embassy in Tel Aviv and ask them what they are doing to help these US citizens. Ask that they apply the utmost pressure on the Israeli Authorities to release these four young men whose only crime is bringing humanitarian aid to needy people. If Israel is denying Palestinians food & medicine as they besiege the Church of the Nativity, in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and these American citizens were upholding international law, which side is the US government on?

United States Embassy , Tel Aviv

Ambassador Daniel Krutzer

Tel: +972-3-519-7575

Fax: +972-3-517-3227

The two US Embassy staff persons that are familiar with the case of these four men are:

Ms. Ingrid Barzel - +972-3-519-7534 (office) or +972-50-481-049 (mobile)

Mr. Michael Cleaverly - +972-3-519-7479 (office) or +972-55-512-515 (mobile)

If you live in the city and/or state of these four men, please contact your congressional representatives and ask them what they are doing to help their constituents being abused by a foreign government. If you have any media contacts, please alert them to the case of these four men. We are doing what we can on our end, but we need much help with outside pressure.

For more information on their case, please contact:

Georgina Reeves (ISM) at +972-55-840-767

IndyMedia Palestine at +972-2-277-7558

Advocate Allegra Pacheco at +972-50-387-570

Ten ISM volunteers (foreign peace activists) remain inside the Church of the Nativity. They are:

Those inside and their respective nationalities are as follows:

Nauman Zaidi (USA), Robert O'Neill (USA), Alister Hillman (UK), Allan

Lindgaard (Denmark), Stefan Coster (Sweden), Erik Algers (Sweden), Larry

Hales (USA), Mary Kelly (Ireland), Kristen Schurr (USA), and Jacqueline

Soohen (Canada)

The media can contact them on the following numbers:

+972-67-341-268

+972-59-357-526

+972-56-782-694

+972-67-345-972

+972-67-403-272

+972-67-346-410

NOTE: It may have been confusing for some that while I was in prison, I was sending out email. No, I did not have my laptop in prison. Others were using my account to keep you updated. Thank you so much for all the letters of support.

11/05/02 18:15

Approximately one hour ago, Trevor collapsed in Ramle prison.

Although his current condition is unknown, we are gravely concerned for his welllbeing. Despite being in an incredibly weakened state, he was still in detention. Today is the ninth day of his hunger strike and the 5th without water.

His embassy have not exerted anything like the pressure on the Israeli authorities to resolve the case for Trevor and his three friends, despite the fact that Israel reneged on an agreement. His lawyer has tried to call them this evening but has reached no-one.

She ;left a message informing them of the critical situation and teh consequences of their failure to act.

It is vital that you all protest in the strongest terms to your representatives as well as calling the embassy here (972 3 519 7575).

for more information please contact:

Georgina Reeves

+972 55 840 767