Report from Mary in Bethlehem

national | miscellaneous | news report Thursday May 09, 2002 23:01 by Adam a_d_conway at yahoo dot co dot uk

Latest report from Irish peace activist inside the Church of the Nativity

On a recent phone communication with Mary, Irish ISM activist inside the Church (14:40, May 8th), Mary declares: “Internationals are being put under huge pressure since yesterday

On a recent phone communication with Mary, Irish ISM activist inside the Church (14:40, May 8th), Mary declares:

“Internationals are being put under huge pressure since yesterday, their consulates as well as the EU security advisors are putting a lot of pressure on them to leave the church and surrender to Israelis, to be put under Israeli police custody. Their position within the church is the same as any of the others; the Palestinian Authority is responsible for them and they will take their direction from President Arafat.

They ask for a deal like that with the internationals in Ramallah; they have to be set free, no names of any internationals taken, no custody, and no deportation and no interdiction by the Israelis to return here. They are doing a humanitarian work, like those in the church, and in no way they could be considered a source of trouble or criminals…. They committed no violence against anyone….

They are under continuous pressure, and humiliating conditions… they are starving, and no food is allowed to them and to all the other besieged in the church… they drink from the stagnant water of the well in the church, and their sufferings are multiplied by the continuous pressure their consulates and EU security adviser are exercising on them…

They call upon all of you to react…. Upon all internationals in the area to multiply efforts to deliver them food and medicines, and to help them stand against these illegal and unjustified pressures… It is a shame for anyone who believes in freedom and humanity to accept and exercise such pressure…”