Bay Area Activist Arrested in Bil'in

December 16, 2004, San Francisco – Kate Bender-Raphael, a well-known Jewish lesbian activist in the Bay Area, was arrested Tuesday while filming a demonstration against the Apartheid wall in Bil'in. That morning the Israeli army attacked a non-violent group of about 150 Palestinians, Israelis and Internationals. Four Israelis and three internationals were arrested. All of the Israelis and one international were released on the condition that they not return to the town. Kate and Kelly are being held for deportation, because of their histories of activism. On December 15 Kate was denied bail and was denied the right to have a lawyer present at her bail hearing. Kate and Kelly are currently in Hadera prison.
Kate is a member of the International Women's Peace Service, and has been living at their Peace House in Hares, Occupied Palestine. Kate is active in several Bay Area activist groups including Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism (QUIT!) and San Francisco Women in Black.
On Wednesday, December 15, Kate issued the following statement:
“On Tuesday in Bil'in, a village between Budrus and Ramallah, I witnessed the brutality of the Israeli military suppressing a peaceful Palestinian protest. Villagers were protesting the construction of the Apartheid Wall on their land. I was arrested while filming an unprovoked attack on a teenager, who was repeatedly kicked and beaten with clubs by a group of border police. Two other protestors were also wounded and soldiers then fired hand grenades at those carrying the injured to the village. Later they fired sound bombs and rubber bullets at a crowd including small children.
“Work on the Wall began in Bil'in on Monday. Villagers succeeded in blocking the bulldozers which had begun to tear down their olive trees. Work was ordered to stop on Tuesday because of a pending appeal in court. Despite this soldiers came anyway with surveyors to demarcate the path of the Wall. The Wall will imprison the village in a small area, destroying the chance of a normal life.
“I was arrested with four Israeli's and two other internationals. The Israelis and one international were released without being charged. Two of us are being singled out for deportation because of our history as activists against the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian land.

“I came to this activism in part because of my identity as a Jewish American. The major financial support that the Isreali government expansion of illegal settlements in the Occupation of Palestinian territories and the Apartheid Wall comes from two communities who claim to speak for me.
“Israel claims to be a home for Jews, which is used to justify racist practices and brutal dispossession of the indigenous Palestinian population. Apparently Jews who care about human rights and justice are not welcome here. This is a dangerous policy which makes the world unsafe for Jews everywhere.
“I demand to be released to continue my work to dismantle Israeli Apartheid and replace it with policies that promote freedom and security for all!
“I demand that the US government impose sanctions to force Israel to stop building the Apartheid Wall and destroy the section already built as decreed by the International Court of Justice!”