Israel Tortures Palestinian Journalist

By Daniel A Palestinian journalist named Mohammed Omer who writes for the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs and is the co-recipient of the 2008 Martha Gelhorn Prize for Journalism was hospitalized after being tortured by the Israeli Security Services (Shin Bet) Omer is from Gaza and was returning after A European speaking tour and a ceremony where he accepted the Martha Gelhorn prize of 5,000 pounds which he shared with fellow reporter Dahr Jamail . For Omer to leave the Gaza to get this award took weeks of lobbying By Dutch MP Hans Van Baalen, head of the foreign relations committee and John Pilger who is an award winning journalist. Omer also had had difficulty getting permission to return to his home in Gaza. At first Israel refused to allow Omer permission to return. When Omer was getting ready to cross the boarder an Israeli officer even suggested that he not return to Gaza because there is no safe drinking water, medical supplies, gasoline or other supplies needed for daily life. This contradicts the hard line Zionist who suggested the people in Gaza have adequate supplies to address their living needs. Once Omer existed Gaza he had to be escorted by a Dutch official to the Allenby Bridge crossing on the Jordanian boarder to leave from Amman, Jordan. On Omer's way back a Dutch official met him at the Allenby Bridge crossing to Jordan on the Israeli side. Then, Omer was taken into the building and questioned by an Israeli security agent while the Dutch official stood outside. The agent searched through his documents and asked “Where is the English Pound you have?”. Obviously the Israeli security agent wanted to take Omer's prize money. Omer told the agent he did not have it with him. The agent told Omer he was lying. Next Omer was asked to strip. When Omer refused to take off his underwear the agent pressed the gun against the side of Omer's head with the full weight of his body and removed Omer's underwear. The Israeli security agent than had Omer do a dance to humiliate him further. Omer was forced to stand for 12 hours with his legs tied without food or water. Omer eventually passed out, but remembered lying on the floor as one of the Israeli security agents used his finger nails to scrape and claw at the tender area beneath Omer's eyes. Omer also remembers the agent digging his fingers into into Omers auditory nerves between his head and his eardrum. The pain became sharper when the agent used two fingers at a time. Another Israeli security agent stood with his foot on Omer's neck and pressed down. Before Omer was even stripped he was x-rayed. Eventually an ambulance was called to take Omer to the hospital. The agents tried to force the ambulance driver to sign a statement indemnifying them for the harm they did to Omer when he was in their custody. The following afternoon he reported difficulty swallowing and breathing. He had sustained cracked ribs and other injuries Torture at the hands of Israeli Security services (Shin Bet) is well documented by Israeli human rights groups and has included "beatings, painful binding, back bending, body stretching and prolonged sleep deprivation". Amnesty International has reported widespread use of torture by Israel. Most of the victims of this torture are severely traumatized while others die as a result. According to John Pilger's article “From Triumph to Torture” Israel is high in an international league table for its murder of journalists, especially Palestinian journalists. Jan Wijenberg who was a former Dutch ambassador said of Mohammed Omer "he is a moderating voice, urging Palestinian youth not to court hatred but seek peace with Israel". This after seeing most of his sibling killed or maimed by Israelis. He even had an Israeli bulldozer crush his house while his family was still inside. His mother was injured. Pilger, John “From triumpth to Torture: Israel's treatment of an award-winning Palestinian journalist is part of a terrible pattern.” The Guardian 2 July 2008 www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree//2008/jul/02/israelandthepalestinians.civilliberties

<p>By Daniel</p> <p>A Palestinian journalist named Mohammed Omer who writes for the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs and is the co-recipient of the 2008 Martha Gelhorn Prize for Journalism was hospitalized after being tortured by the Israeli Security Services (Shin Bet)</p> <p>Omer is from Gaza and was returning after A European speaking tour and a ceremony where he accepted the Martha Gelhorn prize of 5,000 pounds which he shared with fellow reporter Dahr Jamail . For Omer to leave the Gaza to get this award took weeks of lobbying By Dutch MP Hans Van Baalen, head of the foreign relations committee and John Pilger who is an award winning journalist. Omer also had had difficulty getting permission to return to his home in Gaza. At first Israel refused to allow Omer permission to return. When Omer was getting ready to cross the boarder an Israeli officer even suggested that he not return to Gaza because there is no safe drinking water, medical supplies, gasoline or other supplies needed for daily life. This contradicts the hard line Zionist who suggested the people in Gaza have adequate supplies to address their living needs. Once Omer existed Gaza he had to be escorted by a Dutch official to the Allenby Bridge crossing on the Jordanian boarder to leave from Amman, Jordan. </p> <p>On Omer's way back a Dutch official met him at the Allenby Bridge crossing to Jordan on the Israeli side. Then, Omer was taken into the building and questioned by an Israeli security agent while the Dutch official stood outside. The agent searched through his documents and asked “Where is the English Pound you have?”. Obviously the Israeli security agent wanted to take Omer's prize money. Omer told the agent he did not have it with him. The agent told Omer he was lying. Next Omer was asked to strip. When Omer refused to take off his underwear the agent pressed the gun against the side of Omer's head with the full weight of his body and removed Omer's underwear. The Israeli security agent than had Omer do a dance to humiliate him further. Omer was forced to stand for 12 hours with his legs tied without food or water. Omer eventually passed out, but remembered lying on the floor as one of the Israeli security agents used his finger nails to scrape and claw at the tender area beneath Omer's eyes. Omer also remembers the agent digging his fingers into into Omers auditory nerves between his head and his eardrum. The pain became sharper when the agent used two fingers at a time. Another Israeli security agent stood with his foot on Omer's neck and pressed down. Before Omer was even stripped he was x-rayed. </p> <p>Eventually an ambulance was called to take Omer to the hospital. The agents tried to force the ambulance driver to sign a statement indemnifying them for the harm they did to Omer when he was in their custody. The following afternoon he reported difficulty swallowing and breathing. He had sustained cracked ribs and other injuries</p> <p>Torture at the hands of Israeli Security services (Shin Bet) is well documented by Israeli human rights groups and has included "beatings, painful binding, back bending, body stretching and prolonged sleep deprivation". Amnesty International has reported widespread use of torture by Israel. Most of the victims of this torture are severely traumatized while others die as a result. According to John Pilger's article “From Triumph to Torture” Israel is high in an international league table for its murder of journalists, especially Palestinian journalists.</p> <p>Jan Wijenberg who was a former Dutch ambassador said of Mohammed Omer "he is a moderating voice, urging Palestinian youth not to court hatred but seek peace with Israel". This after seeing most of his sibling killed or maimed by Israelis. He even had an Israeli bulldozer crush his house while his family was still inside. His mother was injured.<br /> Pilger, John “From triumpth to Torture: Israel's treatment of an award-winning Palestinian journalist is part of a terrible pattern.” The Guardian 2 July 2008</p> <p><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree//2008/jul/02/israelandthepalestinians.civilliberties">www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree//2008/jul/02/israelandthepalestinians.c...</a></p>