Ambassador Prosor still silent on Mohammed Omer assault case
The following is from a Press Release issued this morning….
Friends of Mohammed Omer have reminded the Israeli ambassador, Ron Prosor, that they are still waiting after 5 weeks for an explanation of the vicious assault by Israeli security officers on the award-winning journalist as he returned home to his family in Gaza. Omer had been visiting European capitals after winning the Martha Gellhorn prize for journalism in war, which was presented to him in London.
The group had asked Mr Prosor to persuade the authorities in Israel to investigate the incident and, if there was any truth in it, to make an apology to Mr Omer for their brutal conduct, compensate him for the injury and in future respect his right to go about his work unmolested.
Mohammed Omer was hospitalised with cracked ribs and other injuries, and is still in pain. He is one of an increasing number of Arab journalists abused by the Israeli secret service.
Comments from the group……
Mary Bedforth: “It is shameful that a journalist should have been so ill-treated by members of the Israeli special police and left injured. Has Israel no regard for law and order and are those responsible being prosecuted?”
David Halpin: “There are many examples showing that Israel does not respect law and order. For example, see Physicians for Human Rights – Israel “Holding Health to Ransom: GSS Interrogation and Extortion of Palestinian Patients at Erez Crossing”. http://www.phr.org.il/phr/article.asp?articleid=603&catid=55&pcat=-1&lang=ENG
In this, PHRI explains how Shin Bet violates the Fourth Geneva Convention and the UN Convention Against Torture, as well as criminal law, in the way it threatens and abuses sick Palestinian patients by refusing them permission to leave Gaza for hospital treatment unless they agree to inform or spy on their countrymen.”
Stuart Littlewood: “From the many reports it appears to have been a racist attack, the sort of thing Mr Prosor and his colleagues often complain about. I’m disappointed he has not responded to our concerns.”
Tim Williams: “Being Jewish myself I am particularly concerned that Israel lives up to its stated ideals of decency. Actions speak louder than words.”
For more information please contact
David Halpin 01364 661115
Felicity Arbuthnot 0208 9850058
Stuart Littlewood 01760 755349
NOTE – Text of the message to Ambassador Prosor……
For the attention of
His Excellency RON PROSOR
Dear Ambassador Prosor,
We wrote to you over 5 weeks ago, on 29 June, asking for an explanation of the assault and injuries inflicted on our friend Mohammed Omer by Shin Bet as he returned home to Gaza via the Allenby Bridge crossing. He had been in Europe as an honoured guest of Britain and other EU countries and is still suffering physically and mentally from his ordeal at the hands of your county’s security personnel.
So far we have not received the courtesy of an acknowledgement let alone an informative reply. We used the email address given on your Embassy website and followed up with reminders on 1 July and 5 July. Given the extensive coverage of the incident and wide international concern, an inquiry was presumably carried out and we assumed that you would have shared its finding with us by now.
We now seek a response, please, from an ambassador who very recently expressed his great concern that Britain has become a hotbed of anti-Israel views and begged for “values of fair play and even-handedness” to be brought to the debate.
Sincerely,
(signatories)
Mary Bedforth
Barbara Mayhew
Nanny Brett
Anna Yandell
Felicity Arbuthnot
Tim Williams
Marshall Hopkins
Paul Maddison
Mark Brett
Stuart Littlewood
David Halpin
Desertpeace 
robertsgt40 said,
August 8, 2008 at 16:32
By his silence, Prosor and Israel are saying “piss off”.. We are the “chosen”.