Sheffield retired Head Teacher arrested. Her crime – wanting to go to a friend’s sister's wedding
Catherine at Luton Airport after deportation
Catherine Gaze (aged 65) a retired Head teacher of Ellesmere Nursery First school who has lived in Sheffield for 28years was arrested and refused entry to Israel on Friday (27 April). She had hoped to link up with friends and acquaintances at a friend’s wedding in Hebron.
She had visited Israel previously. She went into the West Bank as a witness to the daily human rights violations faced by the Palestinians. For example Palestinian children from Hebron are daily abused on their way to school by Zionist Israeli settlers. Catherine would accompany the children.
The presence of a Western eyewitness is known to curb the amount of verbal and sometimes physical abuse that the children suffer. It was doing this work that she met and made friends with Palestinian families. Her presence was noted by Israeli security. The security police at Ben Gurion Airport explained that these activities had put her on a security watch list.
When she arrived at the airport she was arrested for 24 hours and then
deported back to the UK. Friends travelling with her ,who were allowed in, contacted the Sheffield Palestine Solidarity Campaign and five members travelled to Luton airport to welcome her back and bring her home to Sheffield. She is devastated by the sheer unfairness of this treatment, especially as she was going to attend a friend's sister's wedding.
According to the Israeli Government it would seem it's a crime to have Palestine friends and to want to give support to them in their struggle for basic human rights.
The Coop has taken a big step to end trade with Zionist settlements. See the statement by the Coop and picture of celebrating Coop PSC supporters here
- freedom and justice for the Palestinian people
- raising funds to help children's projects in Gaza
- campaigning locally and nationally in support of the international movement for boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel.
- putting on events to increase understanding of Palestine and its culture
- encouraging local people to get involved
- The PSC is anti racist in its constitution. If there is anything racist anywhere on this site please let us know and it will be removed.
.
