Meet Palestinian Soccer Star Mahmoud Sarsak at the Crossroads Women's Centre - later today

2-4pm Sunday, 26 May 2013 Crossroads Women’s Centre 25 Wolsey Mews, London NW5 2DX
We have just been given the precious opportunity to have the first UK public meetingwith Mahmoud Sarsak, Palestinian hunger-striker and footballer. In 2009 Mahmoud, then age 22, was arrested and detained in Israel without charge or trial.  In 2012, after three years of torture and indefinite incarceration, he went on a heroic three-month hunger strike.  Israel denied him proper medical treatment and offered him release only if he agreed to exile, but he refused.
Mahmoud was part of a mass prisoners’ hunger strike (over 2,000 Palestinians), which forced Israel to promise an end to solitary confinement, the right to family visits from Gaza and that administrative detention would not be renewed without evidence brought before a court.   Mahmoud continued even after the mass hunger strike ended as he was the only prisoner held under "Combatant Law" – even more notorious than administrative detention.  He was supported internationally, including by Eric Cantona and other footballers, and by Ken Loach, Noam Chomsky and many others.  He ended his hunger strike only when he won his right to stay in Palestine. Yesterday, as part of the Red Card Israeli Racism protest (also known as Red Card Israeli Apartheid), Mahmoud and Alexei Sayle handed a letter to Michel Platini, president of the Union of European Football Associations, urging him to cancel the planned under-21 European football tournament in Israel. Islington Friends of Yibna,  Payday men’s network and the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network For more information:  07816 251 377 or 07880 731 865

Protest for Palestinian hunger striker, Hassan Safadi, Sunday 9 September, 5-7pm Trafalgar Square, London

A call for London was made in conversation with the father of 150 day hunger striker administrative detainee Hassan Safadi. He asked us to protest to save the life of his son and the other 3 hunger strikers.

Today Hassan Safadi entered his 150 day hunger strike and he is very near to death. His death is now imminent.  This Sunday was called for international protest.

We will protest in London: Date: Sunday 9 September Time: 5-7pm Place: at the steps of St Martin in the Fields Address: London WC2N 4JJ [near Trafalgar Sq and the Mall's Paralympics Marathon] Please bring posters to show your solidarity with the hunger strikers.

Updates on the London protest: http://www.facebook.com/events/275853569179426/

For protest direction: next to the glass walled Pavilion entrance to the Crypt - see http://www.smitf.org/page/aboutus/aboutus.html

Now here's a result

Israel has agreed a to release Mahmoud Sarsak on July 10 and in return he has agreed to end his hunger strike.

Here's Ha'aretz:

A Palestinian prisoner who has been on hunger strike for 88 days ended his fast Monday, after the Israeli authorities agreed to release him on July 10, Palestinian Minister of Prisoners Affairs Issa Qaraqi said.

Mahmoud Sarsak, 25, a member of the Palestinian national football team, had begun taking liquids, preparatory to ending his hunger strike, last week Sarsak, from the Gaza Strip, was arrested in July 2009 while on his way to take  part in a football match in the West Bank. Israel accused him of being affiliated with the radical Islamic Jihad organization.

The Independent's Mark Steel is certainly a happy bunny:

Mark Steel ‏@mrmarksteelThe biggest football win today - Palestinian player released from jail after hunger strike and support from Cantona http://goo.gl/r7ZpT

I remember years back, Mark Steel suggesting that Israel is trying to deny the Palestinians the right even to play football. It was the Palestinian under 19s were denied to visas to tour the UK:

But most likely [it] is simply that the Foreign Office has been leaned on by the Israeli government to refuse entry to the team. Because the Israelis do have a record here. In March last year they bombed the only football stadium in Gaza. And it wouldn't be surprising if, just for extra nastiness they contracted Multiplex to rebuild it.

And during the Asia Cup, which the Palestinian national team had started with an 8-0 win, the Israelis detained the five players who came from Gaza so they couldn't get to their match against Uzbekistan.

The BBC World Service had an interview a couple of weeks ago with Sarsak's father who made the same point that Mark Steel did.

What this case shows is not simply the oppressive nature of zionism with regard to the Palestinians but also Israel denying the Palestinians any semblance of normality with regard to sport and culture.  Also, by agreeing to end his fast in return for a release date, Sarsak has provided a stark reminder of the balance of forces in occupied Palestine.  Sarsak has agreed not die. Israel has agreed to release him.