Scottish Friends of Palestine أصدقاء فلسطين الأسكتلنديين

Press Release 14 November 2006

Scottish Friends of Palestine expresses concern over the continuing detention of Theresa McDermott, a volunteer from Scotland who came to pick olives with Palestinian farmers with the assistance of the Israeli group Rabbis for Human Rights. Today Theresa sits in an Israeli detention cell, awaiting deportation.

Theresa is not charged with any crime. She is one of the increasing number of victims of Israeli government policy which seeks to reduce the presence of international witnesses to the constant abuses of Palestinian rights by the occupation forces.

Theresa, a post office worker from Edinburgh, has been detained since the 31st of October with a court hearing scheduled for Wednesday 15th of November. She came to the country to join the Israeli group Rabbis for Human Rights. The group of rabbis and other Israeli and international volunteers have been invited by Palestinian farmers to help pick olives during this year’s harvest. Palestinian olive pickers constantly face violence from Israeli settlers and harassment from Israeli soldiers. The presence of volunteers can be beneficial to the olive pickers.

For more information:

Attorney Gabi Lasky: 054 441 8988
Arik Asherman, Rabbis for Human Rights: 050 560 7034 or 02 648 2757

Scottish Friends of Palestine is a firm advocate of the total boycott of all Israeli institutions, academic and cultural bodies and Israeli products – until as such times that the Israeli state ceases to boycott the rights of the Palestinian people, and international law as it pertains to the Palestinian people.