Spector Awaits Verdict

As of press time, the verdict on whether peace activist and Falls Church native Jamie Spector could enter Israel was still pending. After standing trial yesterday in Tel Aviv she was awaiting a judge’s review of undisclosed information on her appeal for entry.

In a similar case about entering Israel yesterday, a decision went in favor of fellow American activist Anne Robinson-Petter, who had been detained two weeks prior to Spector. Petter must pay a $10,000 bond to be allowed restricted access to the country. According to the restrictions, she cannot enter the territories, go near the wall construction, or participate in any demonstrations.

While Spector’s father, Steve Spector of Falls Church, said he would be happy to see his daughter allowed access to the country, he is unsure whether she would be able to make the bond in order to take advantage of a similar ruling.

Spector had been planning to take part in non-violent protests against the building of a wall in the West Bank. She had been denied entrance to the country because of Israel’s concern about her connection to the Palestinian organization, the International Solidarity Movement (ISM).

On Sunday, Spector dictated a statement to supporters that was released through a San Francisco based independent media group. In her statement Spector said, “The Israeli State is taking great pains to try to criminalize the non-violent work of the ISM.”

But Mark Regev, from the Press Office at the Israeli Embassy in Washington D.C., in an interview with the News-Press Tuesday, affirmed that Israel does not view the ISM as being a violent threat to the country.

He said that while the Israeli people are concerned about ISM’s political views, there is no evidence of ISM taking violent action against Israel.

Regev did say that ISM’s stance on terrorism has acted as an apology for Palestinian violence. Regev said that while ISM has pushed Israel to stop its violent actions against Palestinians, they haven’t taken a stand against violence perpetrated by Palestinians. “They’re not getting on buses in Israel saying, ‘Don’t blow them up,’” said Regev.

On its website, ISM outlines its stance on Palestinian suicide bombers. “That some Palestinians have turned themselves into weapons is not something inherent to Palestinians or Muslims. Rather, it is a tragic weapon of those who have nothing else to fight with.”

The groups goes on to say, “…Anyone that decries the violence without decrying the violence of occupation is attacking symptoms instead of root causes and accepting violence in the form of occupation.”

Regev declined to speak about the Spector case, but he defended Israel’s right and responsibility to be cautious about who enters the country.

He pointed out that Israel is a sovereign country and that no one has an undeniable right to enter the country. “No one questions the right of the U.S. or Britain to deny people entry,” said Regev.

Even if Spector is allowed entry to Israel it would most likely be under the restriction of not attending demonstrations.