ISRAEL: Authorities extend detention of Syrian who infiltrated Israel on Nakba day

Record ID: 276276

  • Title: ISRAEL: Authorities extend detention of Syrian who infiltrated Israel on Nakba day
  • Date: 18th May 2011
  • Summary: ISRAEL-SYRIAN BORDER, GOLAN HEIGHTS (MAY 15, 2011) (REUTERS) ISRAELI SOLDIERS ADVANCING PROTESTERS KNEELING, GESTURING THE "VICTORY SIGN" WIDE OF DEMONSTRATORS PROTESTER MAKING THE "VICTORY SIGN" PROTESTERS TEARING DOWN THE BORDER-FENCE TWO PROTESTERS EMBRACING SYRIAN SIDE OF THE BORDER / PROTESTERS
  • Embargoed: 2nd June 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel, Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA3V6M4HYN6CU53ZCOJINBYAYEF
  • Story Text: An Israeli court on Tuesday (May 17) extended the detention of a Syrian man who breached the Jewish state's border in a protest marking Israel's founding, a day mourned by Palestinians as a "Nakba" or catastrophe.
    After penetrating the Israeli-Syrian border in the Golan Heights on Sunday (May 15), 28-year-old Hijazi visited his parents' former home in Jaffa, now a section of Israel's commercial hub, 215 kilometres (134 miles) from the Golan Heights and the Syrian border, before turning himself in to Israeli authorities.
    In response to the court extending his client's detention by two days due to security issues, Hijazi's lawyer expressed his hope that the court officials would release Hijazi back to Syria.
    "It is insulting to say that the state of Israel, the great, the strong, the liberal, and the humane, is apparently afraid of this communications and engineering student, that he can undermine the foundations of its existence. This is bullshit, excuse me," lawyer Ari Shamai told Israel's Channel 10 television.
    Hijazi, who identified himself as a Syrian civil servant, said his dream was to come to Jaffa.
    "My dream was to come to Jaffa because it is my hometown but I knew that if I did, it would only be with millions of others marching towards the country like it said in the invitation on Facebook. I arrived in Jaffa alone," Hijazi told Channel 10 correspondent.
    Hijazi commented on Israel's objections to Palestinian refugees and their offspring return to their former homes.
    "I imagine many people (Israelis) as they say that there are many Palestinians who don't want to come back here and want to travel to Europe and America, there are many Jews who also don't want to stay and want to return to their original lands," said Hijazi.
    The Palestinian break-in of the Syrian-Israeli border comes at a time of numerous anti-government protests inside Syria, where at least 700 people have been killed, according to the Geneva-based jurists' group.
    Hijazi said the demonstration was organized through the internet.
    "We organized the demonstration through Facebook. The (Syrian) regime did not accept it and and we asked permission and were refused. The factions Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah refused to bring permits from the Syrian regime. But in the end, I think I do not have the exact information but Hezbollah put pressure on the Syrian regime and got a permit," he said.
    Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said that in addition to Hijazi who has turned himself in, three more Syrian nationals were arrested on Monday (May 16) in the vicinity of Majdel Shams, a Golan Heights frontier village.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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