Posted on 1-7-2003

Israel Bars Entry To Medical Delegation
From Palestine Monitor, Saturday 28th June, 2003

Palestine Medical Relief denounces the Israeli prevention of a Medical
Delegation from Belgium and Holland, to enter Israel with the purpose of
investigating the Health Services in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

On the 23rd of June 2003 a Medical Delegation arrived at Tel Aviv's Ben
Gurion Airport. The visit was organized by Holland's Palestine Solidarity
Group ­ Stop the Occupation, of which Gretta Druisenberg is Chair. Other
organizations involved in the visit were Medical Aid for the Third World;
Doctors for Peace (Flemish Division of International Physicians for the
Prevention of Nuclear War); the Flemish Action Platform Palestine and CODIP
(Center for the Development, Documentation and Information Palestinians).
Palestine Medical Relief was facilitating the visit.

Within hours of their arrival, Doctors taking part in the visit were
deported, as Israeli officials described their visit as having Political
rather than Humanitarian intent. In response, Dr Mustafa Barghouthi
stressed that the Israeli Government has not succeeded in preventing
support for the Palestinians. Rather, it has made the Medical Delegation
even more determined to support the issue of medical neutrality in Palestine.

Gretta Druisenberg, wife of the President of the Central European Bank,
invoked fury from the Israeli Government in the past when she raised the
Palestinian flag on her balcony in Holland and then announced in a press
conference her determination to gather six million signatures against the
Israeli Occupation. Palestine Medical Relief protests against these recent
actions by the Israeli Government as yet again, they have violated the
principals of medical neutrality. The Israeli Army has launched continuous
attacks against Palestine Medical Relief Health Services and Staff. This
recent action is their attempt to cover up their gross violations of
International Law.