PRESS RELEASE – 8th October, 2010. MAIREAD MAGUIRE10 YEAR DEPORTATION FROM ISRAEL

Mairead Maguire was deported from Israel at 4 a.m., on Tuesday 5^th October, 2010 and arrived back in Belfast later that afternoon.  Maguire had arrived in Israel on Tuesday 27^th September, to attend a Nobel Womens Initiative visit, and support those working in Israel and the Occupied PalestinianTerritories – particularly women groups – for human rights and justice.   On arrival she was detained in Ben Gurion Detention Centre,  Tel Aviv.  The Israeli security  tried to forcefully deport Maguire the following day but she peacefully resisted sitting quietly on the tarmac beside the plane refusing to be forcefully deported.  The Pilot of KLM refused to allowed her to be forcefully taken on by Israeli Guards, so she was taken back into detention, where she remained for 7 day solitary confinement, and harsh conditions, causing her to be hospitalized at the end of a week.  During the seven days, she had 3 court appearances to Appeal her conviction of 10 year deportation from Israel.   At the Supreme Court appeal Maguire on speaking to the 3 Judges said she loved the Israeli and Palestinian people and was saddened by their suffering.  However, she insisted peace will not come to Israel until the Israeli Government end Apartheid.   She also made  in the Supreme Court,  an Appeal through the  media, for Israeli Gov. to end Apartheid and Ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.  On arriving home Maguire said ‘I am sorry to be deported for 10 years from Israel and have asked my Attorneys, Adalah, to challenge this order on my behalf, as I very much wish to return to Israel and the occupied Palestinian terrorities to support all those working for change.   I do not feel I have been treated justly by the Israeli Court.  In June 2010, I and my colleagues on the ‘Rachel Corrie’ boat, were illegally  hijacked in International waters by the Israeli Navy, whilst trying to break the siege of Gaza and bring humanitarian aid to people, suffering under illegal collective punishment by Israel.  I am not a criminal and ask ‘how can I be deported from Israel when I had been taken at gunpoint and forced to come to Israel against my will in June, 2010?’ ‘ I wish the three Supreme Court  Judges had been braver and upheld their proposal to the Israel State prosecution, that I been allowed to stay for a few days and join the NWI. However, they showed how little independence the Israeli Judiciary have, and obeyed the Israeli Security authorities, who were determined to uphold my 10 year deportation from Israel, a form of silencing those who are critical of Israeli policies.

Sadly also the Israeli media were  very selective and negative regarding me, carrying misrepesentations such as reporting I was in a plane and shouting and creating a scene, clearly Israeli propaganda against me.    In truth I went to Israel in good faith with  nothing but love for Israelis and Palestinians and wishing a good future for both people  to live in justice and peace.   Because I am critical of the Israeli Government policies does not make me an enemy of Israel or her people, but an upholder of an ethic of human rights and nonviolence, and a believer that peace is possible between both peoples when justice reigns.    It is my sincere hope I can return to Israel and  occupied Palestinian terrorities, to meet my friends soon again.’

Mairead Maguire (Nobel Peace Laureate)