Left Alliance MP held in Israel over unauthorised attempt to enter Gaza | Yle Uutiset

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  • Left Alliance MP held in Israel over unauthorised attempt to enter Gaza 14.1.2020 | Yle Uutiset | yle.fi
    https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/left_alliance_mp_held_in_israel_over_unauthorised_attempt_to_enter_gaza/11156418

    Israeli authorities detained Left Alliance MP Anna Kontula on the Israeli-Gaza border on Monday, according to reports first published by daily Helsingin Sanomat.

    Kontula was held as part of an international activist group that was trying to organise a demonstration on the Gaza border to draw attention to the situation in the region. The group intended unauthorised entry into Gaza by bypassing legal routes.

    "I was on my way to a demonstration and the intention was to enter Gaza to protest the humanitarian crisis caused by embargoes there,” Kontula told news agency STT.

    Illegal entry into Gaza carries the risk of diplomatic repercussions. Kontula said that she had considered her actions in advance.

    “In my view the attitude whereby we should not criticise violations of international law because it might weaken [bilateral] relations sounds very 70s,” she declared.

    Kontula said that she also intended to protest the arms trade between Finland and Israeli companies, which she added must be stopped. The lawmaker said that Finland’s arms exports to Israel promote continued Israeli occupation and military activities in the region.

    “Last autumn we received a great deal of information that led us to anticipate that the arms trade between Finland and Israel is growing and not declining as should be the case with a violator of international law,” she declared.

    #IsraelFinlande #gaza

    • Israel detains Finnish lawmaker for attempted breach of Gaza border fence
      Left Alliance parliament member says she sought to protest the humanitarian crisis in the coastal enclave and arms trade between Israel and Finland
      Noa Landau | Jan. 16, 2020 | 8:46 PM - Haaretz.com
      https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-israel-detains-finnish-lawmaker-for-attempted-breach-of-gaza-borde

      Israel Police detained Monday a member of the Finnish parliament for attempting to cross the Gaza border fence in protest of the humanitarian crisis plaguing the coastal enclave.

      Forty-two-year-old lawmaker Anna Kontula of the Left Alliance and four other human rights activist sought to draw international attention to Gaza’s dire situation by “breaching the border fence,” according to Israeli source.

      The Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry said that “We expect those who visit Israel, and especially public servants, to respect Israeli law.”

      The police said in a statement it acted in “full accordance with the law,” refusing to further comment on Kontula’s detention.

      Taneli Hämäläinen, Kontula’s parliamentary aide, told Helsinki Times that Kontula was held in custody for over 10 hours for refusing to sign a statement admitting to endangering public safety. According to Kontula, she also sought to protest against weapon deals between Israel and Finland and “refused to sign the statement, which I regarded as inaccurate,” Hämäläinen said.

      “Finland is supporting stakeholders that benefit from the continuing occupation and military activity by Israel. By acquiring weapons systems from Israel, Finland also gets to benefit from the development of weapons technology carried out in occupied areas,” Kontula said.

      “The political message that there are no consequences for the over half-a-century-long occupation and serious infringements of international law by Israel,” Kontula added.

      The Finnish Embassy in Israel told Haaretz that Kontula “acted as a private person,” declining to further comment on the issue.

      “Human rights group Gaza 2020: Breaking the siege,” which Kontula is a member of, released a statement saying that “An international delegation of activists was arrested by Israeli police for attempting to cut through the Gaza barrier fence and break the siege.”

      The statement added that “The group demands that the international community end its silence on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which is a direct result of Israel’s 13-year blockade.”

    • Israeli Forces Abduct Finnish MP, Activists On Gaza Border
      January 18, 2020 4:06 AM
      https://imemc.org/article/israeli-forces-abduct-finnish-mp-activists-on-gaza-border

      (...) For its part, the High National Committee for the Great March of Return and Breaking the Siege in Gaza condemned the detentions and expressed solidarity with the detainees.

      Israeli forces also confiscated the Finnish detainees’ passports and cell phones and interrogated them in preparation for their deportation to their country by force.

      The High National Committee called for protecting the activists from Israeli harassment and asked human rights organizations around the world to make similar steps against Israel’s racist policies, especially the unjust blockade on the Gaza Strip.

      The Israeli occupation, in 2006, imposed a tight blockade on the Gaza Strip, closing all crossings connecting the enclave with the outside world through Egypt or the Palestinian territories occupied since 1948. The crossings are only opened partially in certain times and for limited periods for the entry of goods and passengers.

    • Anna Kontula - Wikipedia
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Kontula


      WP : Tanelihamalaine

      She has completed multiple research projects on prostitution in Finland, such as a 2008 report published by the University of Tampere, and her work evaluating criminalization of prostitution and violence toward women. She researches many areas which evaluate work restrictions, cultural norms, and perceptions, including public breast-feeding, aging in construction workers, racism’s impact not only on where people can work, but where they can live, and many other topics.

      She has served as a vice Chairman of the Sex Industry Association, and was involved in many organizations dealing with social activism during her education.

    • Dans la version en finnois, il est précisé qu’elle revendique être la seule députée communiste à l’ Eduskunta, qu’à la suite de son arrestation, elle vient de se faire qualifier d’antisémite par l’Assemblée juive d’Helsinki (traduction sous réserve, Helsingin juutalainen seurakunta (finnois) ou Judiska församlingen i Helsingfors (suédois)).

      Elle a également fait une étude sur le travail au noir sur le chantier de construction de la centrale nucléaire d’Olkiluoto.

      https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Kontula