Socialist Viewpoint

This short notice was received (Nov. 8, 2002) from David Walsh of Boston, Massachusetts.

On Saturday, November 2nd, the newly formed New England Committee to Defend Palestine (NECDP) held a protest rally and march through downtown Boston. Two days later, Amery Jubran, one of the founding members of the NECDP, was taken from his home by agents of the FBI and INS.

Although Amer has not been charged with any crime, he is currently imprisoned at the Adult Correctional Institution in Cranston, Rhode Island, and, under current U.S. law, he could be detained there indefinitely. While the case is being handled under the jurisdiction of the INS, its substance has nothing to do with whatever alleged technicality the INS is holding him for; Amer has already been interrogated by the FBI, which displayed particular interest in his political activities in Boston.

Amer’s arrest is a terrible event, and not just for those of us who are his friends and colleagues. It is an attack not only upon him and upon the New England Committee to Defend Palestine, but also upon the Palestinian people and everyone who supports justice for Palestine. This attack—part and parcel of the government’s anti-Arab and anti-immigrant policies—makes it clear that the present government has no patience for any criticism of its support of Israel, especially when such criticism comes from the Palestinians themselves.

—For a complete version of this statement and updated information visit the website at: www.onepalestine.org