Israel:
American piano tuner arrested

American piano tuner Paul Larudee was arrested on his arrival to Israel, reports Ha’aretz

Journalist Noam Ben Ze’ev from the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reports that the 60-year-old piano tuner Paul Larudee from USA has been sitting in a jail cell in Ben-Gurion airport, waiting for a court decision on his case, since 4 June 2006. He was on his way to tune pianos in Ramallah and Jenin when his entrance to Israel was prevented due to security considerations and a deportation order was issued against him. He refused to board the plane leaving Israel against his will, and was consequently arrested.

“I would like to engage in a debate on the nature of a threat to security and what constitutes such a threat,” Paul Larudee said over a mobile phone to Noam Ben Ze’ev.

Paul Larudee is also a peace activist and a member of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM).
According to the article by Noam Ben Ze’ev, the Israeli Prime Minister’s office has responded that the Ministry of the Interior denied Larudee entry to Israel on the recommendation of security bodies: “He participated in illegal activities as a representative of the organization, stayed in a suicide bomber’s house and participated in a violent demonstration against the separation fence.”

A court hearing to decide whether or not the state of Israel will deny his entry to Palestine and deport him back to California is scheduled for 15 June 2006.