JERUSALEM
(AP) - Israeli soldiers arrested nine foreign activists,
including three Americans, during a protest against Israel's occupation
of Palestinian towns, and police said Thursday the detainees would
be deported.
Among those taken into custody was Adam
Shapiro, 30, a New York City Jew who spent a night in Yasser Arafat
( news - web sites)'s headquarters in April to support the Palestinian
leader when the compound was under siege by Israeli forces.
Shapiro's wife, Huwaida Arraf, a Palestinian
American, said the group members were roughed up by Israeli soldiers
and police during the protest march Wednesday near the village
of Hawara on the outskirts of the West Bank city of Nablus.
About 40 members of the pro-Palestinian
International Solidarity Movement participated in the march, along
with 250 Palestinians.
The demonstrators intended to march to
nearby Nablus to encourage residents to break an Israeli-imposed
curfew, but were stopped after about a half mile by Israeli troops
firing in the air and throwing tear gas and stun grenades.
Demonstrators attempted to continue the
march, but security forces pulled, punched and kicked them and
hit them with rifles, Arraf said.
Nine demonstrators were arrested.
Capt. Jacob Dallal, an Israeli army spokesman,
denied soldiers used undue force. "It's unfortunate that
time has to be spent on removing people who are there just to
cause provocation," Dallal said.
In addition to the three Americans, five
French and one Irish citizen are slated for deportation. The two
other Americans were identified as Javier Cortez, from Los Angeles,
and Charles Williams from Illinois.
Police spokesman Gil Kleiman said the nine
were arrested for rampaging and attacking police officers, and
were being held pending deportation.
Arraf was among a group of activists who
acted as decoys to help others sneak food into the Bethlehem's
Church of the Nativity in May after Palestinian militants had
holed up inside. The protesters were deported, but Arraf, who
is from Roseville, Mich. and also holds Israeli citizenship, was
allowed to leave of her own will. She later returned and spoke
Thursday from Jerusalem.
Arraf said that Israel has deported more
than 40 foreign activists since violence broke out in September
2000.
