URGENT ACTION APPEAL: My friend is still in jail ! ! !

Dear friends,

I could not make up the below update even if I were a world-class fiction writer.

Walid Abu Rass

You will recall my friend Walid Abu Rass who was taken in the middle of the night on November 22, 2011 when Israeli occupation soldiers arrived at his home at 1:30 A.M. His wife, Bayan, and two daughters, Mays, 13 years old, and Malak, 4 years old, were all frighteningly awakened with soldiers in their bedrooms as Walid was blindfolded and taken away. At the time, I wrote this: http://bit.ly/walidaburass

Then, I shared with you all a letter that his daughter Mays wrote following an attempt to deliver him a blanket in prison: http://bit.ly/zQUUAF

After that, I gave an update and advised that his release date was to be July 22, 2012: http://bit.ly/A5HReu

Then, Amnesty International highlighted Walid’s case in their latest report titled, Starved of justice: Palestinians detained without trial by Israel’   (pg 26).

Something else happened after my last update that I was not aware of until a few days ago. Two weeks ago, during a case Walid brought forward to request to be released, the Israeli military “judge” REDUCED his administrative detention sentence by a month, making his new date of release June 22, this past Friday. His wife was relieved, again, finally! His daughters were in their glories. Dad was coming home, again, finally!

Then, on Thur, June 21, Walid was orally informed that his administrative detention order was being EXTENDED for 3 more months! Tomorrow, 25/6 , he will be brought in front of an Israeli military “judge” to formally have his detention extended. 

Remember, an Administrative Detention Order means you are being held for no reason that you or your lawyer know of. This practice was one reason behind all the prisoner hunger strikes that partially ended by Israel stating they would not renew detention orders. So much for that!  

Walid is being held in Israel’s Ofer Military Detention Center , literally a 5 minute drive from his home, where his amazing wife and beautiful two daughter’s await him. He has now been out of his work for 7 months. His position was Finance and Administration Director at the Health Work Committees.

URGENT ACTION APPEAL

There is no reason for Walid to be imprisoned by Israel. His interrogators basically told him that much, saying he is there for “precautionary measures,” whatever that means.

WE WANT THE COURT TO RELEASE WALID TOMORROW!

For that to happen we ask every person of conscience who sees this message to act.

You can do any or all of the following to make your voice heard:

Reference his name, Walid (Hanatsheh) Abu Rass, and his ID # 9-9702819-6

1. Call/fax/email your nearest Israeli embassy/consulate. Here is a list to find one nearest you: Web Sites of Israeli Missions Abroad

2. Call/fax/email the following Israeli occupation officials:

    Brigadier General Avihai Mandelblit

    Military Judge Advocate General

    6 David Elazar Street

    Harkiya, Tel Aviv

    Israel

    Fax: +972 3 608 0366; +972 3 569 4526

    Email: arbel@mail.idf.il; avimn@idf.gov.il

    Maj. Gen. Avi Mizrahi

    OC Central Command Nehemia Base, Central Command

    Neveh Yaacov, Jerusalam

    Fax: +972 2 530 5741

    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Ehud Barak

    Ehud Barak

    Ministry of Defense

    37 Kaplan Street, Hakirya

    Tel Aviv 61909, Israel

    Fax: +972 3 691 6940 / +972-3-696-2757

    Col. Eli Bar On

    Legal Advisor of Judea and Samaria PO Box 5

    Beth El 90631

    Fax: +972 2 9977326

3. Call/fax the Public Ombudsman at The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Unit (COGAT), the Israeli military unit responsible for implementing the Israeli occupation: Telephone: +972-3-697-7957,   Fax: +972-3-697-5177

4. Call/fax the jailer himself, Col. Ganish Menashe, Commander, Ofer Prison:

24-hour number: Telephone: +972-2-541-5610 or +972-2-541-5611, Fax: +972-8-919-3360

5. Call/fax/email your own country’s foreign affairs department (e.g. U.S. State Department, Palestine/Israel Desk) and put this issue on their radar.

6. Lastly, I have a personal appeal to Jews in Israel and around the world who are reading this. These kind of arbitrary detentions are being made in your name. This practice is merely breeding a generation of children who will hate more than they already do. Please act.

Walid’s wife, Bayan, was spot on when she told me at the start of this saga that “Administrative detention has a beginning, but doesn’t have an end.”

Does Walid have to go on a hunger strike and die before his girls can hug him again?

RELEASE WALID NOW!!!

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