Storming of Israeli Embassy
Joe | 17.05.2002 23:17
Indymedia only source to publish this story as it was censored in press so as not to make the Jewish community feel more under threat.
Last update - 00:37 18/05/2002Left-wing extremists tried to storm Israeli embassy in London
By Sharon Sadeh, Ha'aretz Correspndent
Security forces turned back about 20 left-wing extremists who stormed the Israeli embassy in London on Monday and attempted to enter the building. The incident was reported on Friday because the embassy decided to try to keep the incident out of the press.
Scotland Yard said Friday that at 1:50 P.M. on Monday, British police were dispatched to the Israeli embassy when some 20 or more demonstrators attempted to scale the fence surrounding the compound. After police arrived, the demonstrators were alarmed and left the area. One man, in his twenties, received medical treatment at the scene. London police took no additional action in the matter.
According to eyewitnesses, the demonstrators climbed the fence and tried to enter the embassy building. According to a security source, the goal of the demonstrators was "to destroy everything in their way." Security guards at the embassy, with the help of a large London police force dispatched to the scene, were able to fend off the demonstrators after a violent scuffle, during which one of the demonstrators was lightly injured.
During the incident, embassy workers were instructed to remain inside the building until the demonstrators were removed.
The embassy, in consultation with security officials, decided to prevent the incident from being reported in teh media, apparently in order to prevent alarm in the Jewish community in Great Britain. Security sources did say, however, that this was the first time in recent years that the embassy was subject to a violent attack.
The attack occurred one day after a Sunday Times report quoted a leader of London-based fundamentalist group al-Muhajiroun as saying that the Israeli embassy in London and its employees were a legitimate target for suicide attacks.
In October last year the group called on British Muslims to assassinate Prime Minister Tony Blair to avenge the bombing of Taliban forces in Afghanistan.
Over the last six months security has been stepped up considerably at the embassy. Muslim and pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest next to the embassy almost every Friday.
The increasing number of security alerts during this period have become a disturbance to work at the embassy.
By Sharon Sadeh, Ha'aretz Correspndent
Security forces turned back about 20 left-wing extremists who stormed the Israeli embassy in London on Monday and attempted to enter the building. The incident was reported on Friday because the embassy decided to try to keep the incident out of the press.
Scotland Yard said Friday that at 1:50 P.M. on Monday, British police were dispatched to the Israeli embassy when some 20 or more demonstrators attempted to scale the fence surrounding the compound. After police arrived, the demonstrators were alarmed and left the area. One man, in his twenties, received medical treatment at the scene. London police took no additional action in the matter.
According to eyewitnesses, the demonstrators climbed the fence and tried to enter the embassy building. According to a security source, the goal of the demonstrators was "to destroy everything in their way." Security guards at the embassy, with the help of a large London police force dispatched to the scene, were able to fend off the demonstrators after a violent scuffle, during which one of the demonstrators was lightly injured.
During the incident, embassy workers were instructed to remain inside the building until the demonstrators were removed.
The embassy, in consultation with security officials, decided to prevent the incident from being reported in teh media, apparently in order to prevent alarm in the Jewish community in Great Britain. Security sources did say, however, that this was the first time in recent years that the embassy was subject to a violent attack.
The attack occurred one day after a Sunday Times report quoted a leader of London-based fundamentalist group al-Muhajiroun as saying that the Israeli embassy in London and its employees were a legitimate target for suicide attacks.
In October last year the group called on British Muslims to assassinate Prime Minister Tony Blair to avenge the bombing of Taliban forces in Afghanistan.
Over the last six months security has been stepped up considerably at the embassy. Muslim and pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest next to the embassy almost every Friday.
The increasing number of security alerts during this period have become a disturbance to work at the embassy.
Joe
Comments
Hide the following 6 comments
As is normally the case...
17.05.2002 23:29
Dr (Not Muslim)
Do people know what an EMBASSY is?
17.05.2002 23:40
You do NOT "invade" an embassy. An embassy is NEVER a "legitimate target", not even if the country whose embassy it is has just declared war upon yours. Even under those cirucumstances that ambassador, his or her staff and residence, are under protection of those "truce" conditions always in effect for negotiations.
NOTHING excuses invading an embassy and nothing excuses carrying out an attack on an embassy.
Mike
e-mail:
stepbystepfarm@shaysnet.com
No Peace Till End Occupation.
18.05.2002 01:35
All over the world Israeli embassies spread the lie to justify the NaZionist terrorism against the defenseless palestinian people .
Forward the worldwide answer against the ZioNazi Occupation in Palestine.
Stop the Apartheid and the Terror!
Free Palestine!
Maquis
where is the palestinian embassy?
18.05.2002 09:11
diplomacy does not work with israel, if it did, the united nations would have secured the west bank for the palestinians many decades ago. israel should have no diplomatic ties with the outside world. if the government of the UK is not going to rid of the ambasador, then the people of the UK should overtake the embassy
In comment to an embassy is NEVER a "legitimate target", america has set the president with the destruction of the chinese embassy in belgrade, although i do sugest that peaceful occupation is moral, and laser guided bombs totally illegal.
e b
Laws are redundant in war
18.05.2002 10:34
lawyer
Some Facts to Digest
19.05.2002 12:25
However, when half a dozen of the group attempted to climb the fence, an alarm sounded and four plain-clothed security men appeared. One of the men repeatedly struck out at the group with a golf umbrella, hitting one man so hard that he fell off the fence and injured his arm. The police (having already been tipped off) then arrived in force and demanded that everyone leave or face arrest.
All this talk about "legitimate targets" and "war" is very dangerous. We are not soldiers or paramilitaries. We are not at war with anyone. Unlike the Muslim fundamentalists, we do not necessarily reject the existence of the state of Israel. We are wholly opposed to racism, including anti-semitism. However, anti-Semitism is likely to be inflamed by irresponsible reporting in the media. When 30,000 pro-Israel marchers came out on Trafalgar Square over the bank holiday weekend, the protest received blanket coverage in all the major newspapers. When a much larger pro-Palestinian demo occurs, it is completely ignored.
Peace activists will be putting their money where their mouth is this summer - by going to the Occupied Territories and showing solidarity with the occupied Palestinian people. The big Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square rallies are an important part of mobilising public opinion against war and racism, but they are not the answer to everything. Ultimately, even if a million people came out onto the streets, Sharon would continue his criminal aggression. Direct Action cannot therefore be ruled out as a means of pressuring the so-called "international community" into a humane response.
Citizen X