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This saturday //15th of sept// we will try to fundraise some money for Dasa Raimanova and support her on her mission in Palestine. After an incident with Israeli authorities she is currently drowning in depth.
Dasa Raimanova is an aspiring director and DOP (director of photography) interested in making political documentaries as well as fiction with social and political themes.
Apart from being involved in films, as a squatter she is regularly co-organizes alternative events such as Temporary Autonomous Art, Femme Fatale, Exhibitions, Cinema and Café nights in London.
Recently she was supposed to join a grassroots organization called Nomada operating in the Palestinian territories to create a documentary about their activities (food sources in Palestine, emphasizing new ideas like slow food, cooperatives, women coops or eco food from illegal Palestinian settlements), when all the troubles started.
The “full story” in “short” form (Personal Statement by Dasa)
I arrived in Israel on Friday, the 31st August 2012. At the exit passport control on the Tel –Aviv airport I got asked about the purpose of my visit. I presented an official letter from Nomada, stating the aim of my visit. Straight away I was asked to wait. After numerous hours and three different interrogations involving more and more absurd questions I got asked back into the office and received a stamp in my passport permitting me to enter Israel just to be presented with a document to be signed that I agree not to enter any Palestinian territories. With the implication that if I breach it can be deported and I will be not allowed back into Israel for another 10 years. On my questions why I need to sign it and on my request to consult this document with a lawyer or an embassy I felt the pressure and refused to sign it. It sparked anger and the document was torn apart in front of my face and my entrance to Israel denied.
Upon it I was taken away to another room and requested to “pose” for a picture, which I refused and demanded to speak with a person in charge. On my demands why my entry got denied I got accused of lying. I requested more information with the answer that “they” don not need to explain me anything and that anyone can print a letter with a logo, a stamp and signature on it.
I got brought to another room where all my bags and myself got stripped searched with no one giving me any explanation of what is going to happen next. I figured out that I would be held in a detention centre till my deportation back to (to me at that point unknown destination) to be due on Sunday.
After alarming my family, they tried to do as much as they could, as I was not allowed to make any more phone calls outside of Israel.
Finally, the Slovak Ambassador came on Friday evening. To my surprise I got told that he cannot (or does not want?) do anything for me. Moreover I got asked about my age from his female assistant (wife?). To my answer that I am 30, she asked me if I did not learn till now that I am not supposed to run against the wall and suggested me to leave home and find some other project around the world.
Till now I regret that I shook their hands by their leave (what kind of communist pricks are these people?).
With the time more disappointed people arrived at the detention centre and I got to know about many more upsetting stories. The hope was dying in me despite the great encouragement from my family. I believed I have return to Europe and give up on a project, which I was very much looking forward too.
Luckily Nomada and my family organized a lawyer who appeared on Saturday night. He proposed me two options: either to go back and fight the case from London or to resist the deportation and go through the court process in Israel. However the second option meant to be locked up in the detention centre for another 2 weeks.
I opted for the second one, had to resist the first attempt of deportation and being called dangerous and locked up in a separate cell with 24h CCTV and with no rights whatsoever (luckily the prison officers were “kind of human” too so they strictness relaxed after a long while).
To our surprise the 1st hearing took place already on Monday and the judge decided to let me in into Israel however the decision about entering Palestine or not was due to be made the following day.
The 2nd hearing took a while and it was really “exciting” to sit in a court where the lawyers and judge are deciding about my life all in Hebrew (which I do not speak).
The conclusion was that the permit they asked me to obtain does not really exist and the supposed authority (Israeli Army) does not really issue such permits. Well it did not really matter as the other side was allowed to call the interior Ministry and let them decide if they agree to let me in with or without the permit.
The ministry decided that I need to obtain a special permit but the judge did not let me sign any legal documents that I agreed to do so. Which is good and bad at the same time.
At the moment, the 6th September, I am free in Jerusalem and I will meet my lawyer later. We will apply for the permit and the army has a duty to reply within 24 hours. I do not know what will happen next if we do not manage to get this permit…
All in all it was kind of “nice” Israeli welcome (as the officer said: “First time in Israel? A bit different experience, no?”), the lawyers were great and supportive but obviously they did not do it for free and left me a bill of 3000EUR which we trying to negotiate at the moment. Indeed it will take me time to repay this sum of money (ouff…).
Thank you for all you support and encouragement,
Dasa Raimanova
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Nomada is an association for integration of multicultural society. Founded in 2009 by initiative of people connected by their common experience, sensibility and involvement in social issues.
Nomada currently works for comprehensive development of civil society with the aim to shape the attitude of human solidarity with people from different backgrounds, breaking down stereotypes and prejudices. Apart from this challenging work Nomada is involved in taking actions to spread and protect human rights. They act in defense of national, religious or sexual minorities as well as the refugees, the immigrants and other socially excluded groups.
The methods of their work involve participation in community life leading to turn someone’s attitudes towards the development of mutual relations and various ways of communications.
At the moment the association is legally registered in Poland nevertheless still lacks the legal status in Israel, but tries very hard to obtain it.