Dear Friends,
American jounalist, Jared Malsin, was detained Tuesday by immigration services at Ben Gurion airport, Tel Aviv, as he returned from vacation with his girlfriend Faith.
Jared is the chief editor of the English language desk at Ma’an News Agency in Bethlehem, and also my next-door neighbor. He was due to be exported yesterday morning, but thankfully an attorney hired on his behalf by Ma’an managed to file an injuction that has kept him in the country and scheduled a deportation hearing for Sunday.
He is currently being hekd in detention, and is receiving little of the rights he should be afforded. Jared is a professional journalist, and is in no way, shape, or form a security threat to the state of Israel.
He is suffering due to the desire of the Israeli government to suppress any voice that challenges the continued heinous actions of the Israeli state, in Jared’s case through his work as a journalist.
Israel is trampling over the freedom of the press, and seems to only grant this to those who toe the line.
Due to time constraints and the fact that much has been written in the last few days about the situation, I emplore you to read the following articles and grant me a tremendous favour.
What we are asking of you is to contact the Israeli embassy in your home country to express your disgust at the suppression of the press, and the unnecessary suffering that Jared has experienced in the last few days.
A phone call would be remarkable, but if you would prefer not to please, please contact them via email. If anyone would like a sample letter to use I can forward you the letter that I emailed the Israili embassy in London.
Time is of the essence. This afternoon is the final opportunity to contact the embassies before they close for the weekend, and the final chance before Jared’s hearing on Sunday.
The following are some of the articles that I have come across that provide excellent information:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/
http://www.nytimes.com/
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/01/
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Please contact the Israeli embassies in your home countries. It would mean the world to us here, and also pass the information to everyone you know via email, facebook, etc. and request that they follow your lead. It could make a huge difference.
For updates on this continuing story please visit the Ma’an website.
Thank you so much for any help you can provide.
Nathan
