What you can solidarize with
The campaign aims to cover the cost of my legal struggle against Israel's decision to deny me entry, which is one of the ways in which Israeli government impedes humanitarian assistance to the occupied Palestinian population.
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Have a look on the articles about my story before you start reading:
http://www.jpost.com/National-News/Polish-humanitarian-worker-banned-from-reentry-to-Israel-Palestinian-areas-325868 (Article in Jpost)
http://www.haaretz.com/news/features/.premium-1.548293 (Article in Haaretz)
http://www.thenews.pl/1/10/Artykul/147402,Polish-aid-worker-banned-from-Israel-protests-innocence (Polish radio)
And here you can see me and watch this interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-Hz0u9WTvs (if you speak Polish).
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Hello - My name is Kamil Qandil and I am a 24 years old citizen of Poland, with Palestinian roots. I have
studied Global Refugee Studies & Development at Aalborg
University - Copenhagen and have worked as a humanitarian worker in the
occupied Palestinian territory (oPt.). The organization I was conducting a project with is
called PAH, Polish Humanitarian Action.
The aim of my project was to rehabilitate ancient cisterns to enable water harvesting in a Palestinian village called Beit Mirseem. The village lies in the West Bank in area C, which is fully under Israeli control, and its inhabitants are deprived of the access to a water-network. The project improved access to water for Palestinian peasants and shepherds, and therefore facilitated their means of livelihood in face of the severe water restrictions of Israeli occupation.
From June till October 2013 I
was conducting this water access improving project within PAH,
financed by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, at the end of
August I left Israel for one week to attend a good friend’s wedding. Upon my
return to Israel I was not allowed back into the country.
On my way back, on September 2nd, I landed at Ben Gurion
Airport in Tel Aviv, like many times before. I was used to long security checks
but this time it took for ever. Eventually I was told that I would not be allowed to enter Israel due to "security reasons" even though one months before I was granted a
one-year working visa with multiple entry permit. I was then put into a cell in
the Detention Center at Ben Gurion Airport. My work, my friends and my passion was
in Palestine - yet I was to be flew back to Poland within 24 hours. The only way to counteract this unjust situation was to hire a lawyer and fight this decision in a court.
My friends and my sister, who lives in Jerusalem, did everything they could to help me and the court hearing took place one day after my arrival. Israel's decision to deny me entry, is one of many ways in which Israeli government impedes humanitarian assistance to occupied Palestinian population. In this hearing I was
not given any specific reason for the denial, beside the general remark
that it is “security issue” - and that the judge would not revoke
the decision of the security service.
I did know, and still do, that neither me nor the International community of
humanitarian aid workers were a security threat to Israel. Thus, my
family and I made the decision to appeal to the Supreme Court. It was a hard
decision to make; it meant that I had to stay for an unknown amount of time in
the detention center (eventually I stayed 11 days in this prison-like
institution) and it would put me and my family and I in debt. Still, we believed that
justice would win in the end.
In the meantime, friends, friend of friends and my family got
numerous people engaged in my struggle, including: the former European Parliament
president and former Polish prime minister Jerzy Buzek who tried to intervene on my
behalf. AIDA - the association of International Development Agencies which
released an official statement, saying "The international community must
act urgently to press the government of Israel to respect internationally
recognized principles regarding humanitarian access by immediately releasing
Kamil Qandil and facilitating his entry". In addition, diplomats from the
EU official representative office got involved. Moreover, the Polish president
Bronisław Komorowski, the Polish Embassy in Tel Aviv, numerous journalist,
social activists and private people were involved in my case.
The hearing in the Supreme Court did not take much longer than
the first one. I was treated even more like a criminal, and still didn't
learn anything concrete about the reasons of entry deny.
Finally, my denial of entry was to be final and irreversible in
the Supreme Court, I was sent back on September 12th, on the first plane available
after the hearing.
...Now back in Poland I am finalizing the project by preparing
financial reports and other documents that are part of every project settling. Unexpectedly,
I learned that neither the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, nor PAH, for who I was
implementing the water project, would financially support me in my legal
struggle. Moreover the per diem allowance from Polish Aid (Ministry of Foreign
Affairs Development Programme) was cancelled, as well as my financial
supplement by PAH.
So I find myself not only outside of Palestine without my
project, my work, my colleagues, my friends and my financial income, but also with a considerably large debt. This is why I am asking for your help.
Even though the court case was lost, we believe it was
meaningful and important to appeal: On the one hand, to raise awareness about the injustice that humanitarian aid workers have to encounter. And on the other hand, this was another chance to shed light on the harsh conditions that occupied Palestinian population lives under.
I would like to ask you for
solidarity with the humanitarian access cause I was fighting for.
--- My team, two Palestinian colleagues and I surrounding a cistern I was working on ---
What We Need
We aim at collecting another $4,000 USD.
The total amount of court fees and lawyer's remuneration equals to - $9,500 USD
However, we have managed to collect 1/3 of this amount, thanks to private money
donation initiated by my friends in Poland, and thanks to a fundraising
dinner organised by my sister in Jerusalem.
What does this amount consist of?
Hearing in the District Court:
$600 USD + $4, 500 USD (lawyer's remuneration) = $5,100 USD
Appeal in the Supreme Court:
$1000 USD (court fees) + $3, 400 USD (lawyer's remuneration) =
$4,400 USD
What can you contribute?
Any amount is a viable and appreciated contribution, whether
a small amount or a large amount.. Any
contribution, even the smallest will make a difference, because it is the
gesture of solidarity that counts most.
My friends, from whose wedding I was coming back when I was
denied entry to Israel, generously offered a contribution. So did my friends
from the Polish Humanitarian Action mission in the occupied Palestinian
territory. What's crucial is the initiative itself and the participation of
friends. If a lot of people contribute with little amounts, it will be an act
of solidarity with myself, international humanitarian community and occupied
Palestinian community - because united we stand :)
The Impact
First of all your contributions will help my family to pay the debt
incurred during the legal struggle for my rights to provide humanitarian aid in
the occupied Palestinian territory.
Equally important is raising awareness of the violation of
International Humanitarian Law and about the deprivation of the occupied
Palestinian population’s access to water by Israel.
Other Ways You Can Help Me
Share articles that have to do with my legal struggle against
the denial of entry:
http://www.jpost.com/National-News/Polish-humanitarian-worker-banned-from-reentry-to-Israel-Palestinian-areas-325868
http://www.haaretz.com/news/features/.premium-1.548293