Just a small piece of news I think is important to pass on, for the record ...

I really never thought that the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) would care about my presence in the West Bank, and it was easy enough getting into occupied Palestine (it was just getting into the "Israel" part of Palestine that was the hard part). With all their worries about terrorist attacks on their country, why would a professional army actively search for a lone "Canadian" writer and activist with no links whatsoever to "terror groups"? Nonetheless, I now have confirmation that the IOF is looking for me, sort of.

December 21, 2002

Just a small piece of news I think is important to pass on, for the record ...

I really never thought that the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) would care about my presence in the West Bank, and it was easy enough getting into occupied Palestine (it was just getting into the "Israel" part of Palestine that was the hard part). With all their worries about terrorist attacks on their country, why would a professional army actively search for a lone "Canadian" writer and activist with no links whatsoever to "terror groups"? Nonetheless, I now have confirmation that the IOF is looking for me, sort of.

According to LeAnne Clausen, a member of the Christian Peacemaker Team, three IOF soldiers asked for me after stopping 3 Israeli, 2 American and 2 British women (all white) in Hebron inside the West Bank. The incident occurred last Thursday (before I even entered the territories).

According to LeAnne, who I met today (Saturday), three soldiers in a jeep stopped her and the five other women, demanding to see their passports. When LeAnne asked why, a soldier asked in return, "Are one of you named Singh?"

When LeAnne recounted her story, it deeply re-assured me to know that these well trained soldiers are looking for a white woman named Singh. Alas, LeAnne let me know that one of the soldiers then asked, "We're looking for _him_." So, I guess I can be re-assured that the IOF is mistaking older white women for a somewhat young, scruffy East Indian with a Canadian passport. Hope the trend continues.

All the same, the incident in Hebron does show that even on-the-ground soldiers of the IOF have been told to look out for me. The fact that this incident occurred in Hebron is also disconcerting, since Hebron is home to the most racist and extremist Jewish settlers in the occupied territories, backed up by the complicit Israeli army who are often just as ideological and extreme.

Again, just passing on this story as an incident report, for the record. If there are any journalists out there who want to verify LeAnne's story, they can contact me and I'll pass on her contact info. Will be writing again soon.

-- Jaggi Singh
December 21, 2002
Reported from the West Bank of Occupied Palestine