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Take Action to Urge Israeli Authorities to allow prominent labor rights activist Hasan Barghouthi to travel abroad!

One of Grassroots International's partners, prominent Palestinian labor rights activist Hasan Barghouthi from the Democracy and Worker's Rights Center (DWRC) in Ramallah, has been prevented from traveling abroad by Israeli Intelligence Services. Hasan Barghouthi is a well-known trade unionist and activist for peace, democracy and social justice in Palestine. He is also an invited speaker for Grassroots International's 20th Anniversary Conference and Celebration on November 15 in Cambridge, MA.

Please read the background information below and fax or email the Israeli Minister of Defense and the Israeli Minister of the Interior to register your protest and urge that he be allowed to travel. The fact that Mr Barghouthi, a prominent Palestinian activist, is being treated in this way speaks to the lack of freedom of movement and travel that all Palestinians face.

BACKGROUND: On 15 October 2003, Mr. Hasan Barghouthi was on his way to Amman, Jordan and then onward to Brussels, Belgium to attend the Global Network meeting. To his surprise, he was stopped for more than 7 hours at the border crossing with Jordan by Israeli intelligence services. They did not allow him to travel and instead 'invited' him to meet with an officer of the Israeli intelligence services called "Captain Shay" in Ramallah on 21 October 2003.

On Tuesday 21 October, Mr. Hasan Barghouthi went to the offices of the Israeli intelligence services in Ramallah at 9 a.m. for the meeting. He was left waiting outside until 10:30 a.m., when a member of the Israeli intelligence services told him to come back at noon. When he returned, he was made to wait again until 3:30 p.m., when another member of the intelligence services showed up and asked him to return on 28 October at 10:00 a.m. No explanations were offered.

Hasan Barghouthi's work as Director of DWRC requires him to travel often and what happened recently indicates that the Israeli authorities might decide to deny him his right to freedom of movement in the future. (Information provided by the Democracy and Worker's Rights Center)

TAKE ACTION NOW: Please fax or email Israeli authorities and demand that Hasan Barghouthi, a prominent activist, be allowed to travel.

Israeli Minister of Defense Shaul Mofaz: Fax: +972-3-6962757 / +972-3-6916940 / +972-3-6917915 E-mail: ,

Israeli Minister of Interior Avraham Poraz: Fax: +972-2-6701400 E-mail:

Please copy Grassroots International on your communications so that we can keep track of your response.

Thank you very much for your support!