Israeli troops have been accused of stealing from activists arrested in the assault on the Gaza flotilla after confiscated debit cards belonging to activists were subsequently used.
In their raid on May 31, the Israeli army stormed the boats on the flotilla and, as well as money and goods destined for the Palestinian relief effort in Gaza, the bulk of which have yet to be returned, took away most of the personal possessions of the activists on taking them into custody.
Individual soldiers appear to have used confiscated debit cards to buy items such as iPod accessories, while cellphones seized from activists have also been used for calls.
Ebrahim Musaji, 23, of Gloucester, England, has a bank statement showing his debit card was used in an Israeli vending machine for a purchase costing him £0.82 (US$1.21) on June 9.
It was then used on a Dutch Web site twice on June 10: once for amounts equivalent to £42.42 and then for £37.83. A Californian activist, Kathy Sheetz, has alleged that she has been charged more than US$1,000 in transactions from vending machines in Israel since June 6.
Musaji and Sheetz were on board two separate boats — one the Mavi Marmara, on which nine Turkish activists were killed, the other on the Challenger 1. Both activists only entered Israel when arrested and were in custody for their entire time on Israeli soil.
‘A BIT OF A JOKE’
“They’ve obviously taken my card and used it,” Musaji told the Guardian. “When they take things like people’s videos and debit cards and use them, and their mobile phones, it becomes a bit of a joke.”
“We were held hostage, we were attacked, and now there’s been theft. If the police confiscate your goods in the UK, they’re not going to use your goods and think they can get away with it,” he said.
Musaji canceled his card on June 7, the day after he returned to the UK, where he is a support worker for adults with learning difficulties. His bank has agreed to treat the transactions as fraudulent and he will not be charged for them. His cellphone was also used for two short calls in Israel after it had been confiscated.
Another US activist, David Schermerhorn, 80, from Washington state, said his iPhone was used, while Manolo Luppichini, an Italian journalist, said his card was debited with the equivalent of 54 euros (US$67) after it was confiscated.
STILL IN POSSESSION
Activists said Israel still had possession of at least £1 million in goods and cash, comprising aid and personal possessions, including laptops and cameras.
Some passports, three of them belonging to UK citizens, have still not been returned. On Thursday, delegations in 12 countries, including the UK, held meetings with their respective governments to exert pressure on Israel to return the seized property.
A spokeswoman for the Israeli embassy in London advised Musaji to register a formal complaint.
“We regard any misconduct as described in Mr Musaji’s allegations to be utterly unacceptable and intolerable, and suggest waiting until this subject matter is clarified,” she said. “As had happened previously, an Israeli soldier was found guilty of illegal use of a credit card for which he was indicted and sentenced to seven months’ imprisonment.”
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