Maia Ramnath speaks about her recent travels to the West Bank with the ISM

George Cadman of Free Radio Santa Cruz 101.1 fm interviews Maia Ramnath about her recent travels to the West Bank with the ISM. Maia is a UCSC grad student and activist in the global justice and antiwar movements. She has travelled to the West Bank twice, first in the spring of 2002 during the major Israeli army invasions of Palestinians towns and most recently in Dec 04 and Jan 05.

George Cadman of Free Radio Santa Cruz 101.1 fm interviews Maia Ramnath about her recent travels to the West Bank with the ISM. Maia is a UCSC grad student and activist in the global justice and antiwar movements. She has travelled to the West Bank twice, first in the spring of 2002 during the major Israeli army invasions of Palestinians towns and most recently in Dec 04 and Jan 05.
The International Solidarity Movement was founded in late 2000
by Palestinian and Israeli peace activists, who came together with the intent to end Israel's military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, which they say is the main obstacle to peace. Civilians from all over the world travel to the Occupied Territories to provide protective accompaniment for Palestinian civilians, as well as to engage in acts of nonviolent direct action. Some of the work of the ISM internationals includes walking children to school, acting as observers, attempting to protect Palestinian homes, crops and water wells from destruction or appropriation, assisting farmers in accessing and harvesting crops and carrying food and medicine into closed neighborhoods. They also get news reports out. Approximately 20% of ISM members are Jewish, including many Israelis.
Some ISM activists have been killed or seriously injured by Israeli forces while engaged in this work. An Australian volunteer sustained severe internal injuries after being hit by shrapnel from rounds fired by Israeli forces during an April 2002 protest in Beit Jala. On March 16th, 2003, ISM volunteer Rachel Corrie was killed in Rafah after being run down by an Israeli army bulldozer that was set to destroy the home of a Palestinian pharmacist. Three weeks later on April 5th, 2003, ISM volunteer Brian Avery suffered extreme facial injuries after being shot by machine gunfire from an Israeli armoured personnel carrier. Six days later, British ISM volunteer Thomas Hurndall was shot in the head by an Israeli sniper while trying to protect Palestinian children from the Israeli army gunfire. He was left braindead for months and eventually died on January 13th, 2004.