All of the Muslims in the world are wrong, and you three are the only ones who are right?!! pleads the father of Mahmoud Salfity, one of the kidnappers, in a video published on a the
website of the Palestinian Interior Ministry on Wednesday.
The video shows one family member after another begging the kidnappers of an Italian activist to let him go. Vittorio Arrigoni was killed by his kidnappers just hours after being abducted last
week in Gaza.
On Wednesday April 20th, the Ministry of Interior and National Security in Gaza, released new details on pleads made by the families of the kidnappers to release Arrigoni.
The kidnappers were barracking themselves in the second floor of a home in Al Nusseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.
The video first shows Hisham Al Sadeeni, detained by Hamas, trying to talk to one of the kidnappers, identified as Abu Amer, urging him to release Arrigoni, and telling him that he would be
released by Hamas forces, and that the only thing that delays the release and resolving the issue of the other gunmen depends on the release of Arrigoni.
The second scene of the video shows the father of Mahmoud Al Salfity, one of the kidnappers, trying to speak to his son and bring some since to him, while the voice of another gunman was heard in
the background as he was refusing the plead.
It is my right to speak to my son, the father said, "I will stay here, I will sleep here if necessary, I urge you, I beg you let me speak to my son, the father was telling one of the
gunmen, Do you consider yourself right and millions of Muslims in the world wrong?!
You three do not represent the Muslims, what you are doing is wrong, the Salafists, the Islamic Jihad and everybody do not approve of what you are doing, everybody your brothers are begging
you to come down, they don't want you to die, you should be more reasonable than that, please have some sense, please brother, for your own sake just come down son, I raised you, I took care of
you, and you are doing this impiety?!
The father was also telling his son that Islam is a moderate religion, a humanitarian belief, and does not accept what is happening.
On the third scene the mother of Bilal Al Omary, one of the kidnappers, was urging the release of Arrigoni and assuring him that the Hamas security forces vowed not to harm him.
In the fourth scene, the uncle of Bilal was also urging him to release Arrigoni and telling him that nobody will abandon him and his friends, and will stand by them.
Do you hear me? Come down my dear Bilal, please come down, the uncle said, have some mercy on your father, on your mother, just come down.
The fifth scene shows the brother of Bilal telling him that Abdul-Rahman, one of the captures of Arrigoni will be allowed back to his country. And that he will be allowed to go wherever he wants
without being harmed.
The mother was desperately pleading the release of Arrigoni, and a peaceful ending to the whole ordeal.
The pleads of ended with gunshots fired by the abductors from the second floor at their own family members downstairs.
by Jeff Halper
Less than two weeks after losing another friend and comrade, Juliano Mer-Khamis, I now have to mourn and remember my fellow Free Gaza shipmate Vittorio (Vik) Arrigoni, who was brutally murdered
last night by religious extremists in Gaza (and who actually resembled Juliano, physically, in his buoyant personality and in his insistence on being there when the oppressed needed him).
Vik was truly a person greater than life. He was so filled with energy, a mixture of joy, camaraderie and impatience with the confines of boats and prisons like Gaza, that he would suddenly lift
you into the air, or wrestle with you he was a big, strong, handsome guy, ebullient and smiling even in the most oppressive and dangerous situations as if to tell you: Yalla! These Israel naval
ships shooting at us and the Palestinian fisherman cannot prevail over our solidarity, outrage and the justice of our cause! (Vik was wounded in one of those confrontations). He would come up
behind you and say: The Occupation will fall just like this! (and he would wrestle you to the ground, laughing and playing with you as he did).
Vik, who like me received Palestinian citizenship and a passport when we broke the siege of Gaza and sailed into Gaza port in August, 2008, was a peace-maker exemplar. Though having a family in
Italy, he cast his lot with the Palestinians (with his whole heart, as was his wont. On his facebook page is written: lives in Gaza). He was especially known for accompanying the fishermen as
they tried to ply their trade despite almost daily shootings at them from the Israeli navy, who confined them to the fished-out, sewage-filled waters near the Gaza coast. At least eighteen
fishermen have been killed in the past decade, about 200 injured, many boats wrecked and much equipment ruined. But he was intimately involved wherever he was needed in Gaza, among the farmers as
well as traumatized children, in times of distress his book, Gaza: Stay Human, documents his experiences among the people during Israel's three-week attack in 2008-09 and simply being with the
people in their coffee shops and homes.
When it was learned he was kidnapped, hundreds of appeals rose spontaneously not only from the international peace community but especially from a distraught Palestinian population in Gaza. A
memorial service will be held today in Gaza City and other parts of the Occupied Territories.
Vik worked in the West Bank as well as Gaza, and was jailed three times before being expelled by Israel. But his peace work did not take the form of activism alone. Vik was a master of
communication physical, verbal, written (his blog, Guerrilla Radio, was one of the most popular in Italy) and he mixed personal experiences, reportage and analysis effortlessly.
Vik was what we call a witness: someone who put himself physically with the oppressed and shared with them their triumphs, tragedies, sufferings and hopes. Yet he was one who through his actions
tried to affect genuine change. His last message on my facebook page was: No-fly zone over Palestine. He, like Juliano, Rachel, Tom and so many other internationals who have sacrificed themselves
for peace and justice in Palestine and the world over, leave a huge hole in our hearts, our lives and in the struggle.
I'll miss you, man. But every time I feel tired or discouraged, I'll feel you lifting me up over your head and, with your huge smile and laughter, threatening to throw me overboard if I even
hesitate in throwing myself into the fight. You were and are the earth-force of the struggle against injustice. You will always hold us up and inspire us. Like the Palestinian fishermen you loved
so much, we and all others fighting for the fundamentals of life throughout the world commit ourselves to seeing your vision through.
Ciao, friend.
With Great Shock and Sorrow, PCHR Condemns Murder of Italian Activist, Vittorio Arrigoni
With great shock and sorrow, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the murder of Italian activist, Vittorio Arrigoni. On Friday morning, 15 April 2011, Vittorio's body was found
in an abandoned house in the north of the Gaza Strip, following his murder at the hands of kidnappers.
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), and its entire staff, gravely condemns this crime, which targets our inherent human dignity, and the values and traditions of the lawful struggle
for freedom and justice. It is this human struggle which connects Gazan's locked behind the closed door of the Gaza Strip with the outside world, and inspires countless individuals to stand as
human rights defenders.
PCHR calls upon the government in Gaza to prosecute the perpetrators. Furthermore, all necessary measures must be taken to secure the safety of international activists in the Gaza Strip.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, on Thursday evening, 14 April 2011, a group named "Group of the Companion Mohammed Bin Maslamah" announced the kidnapping of the Italian journalist,
Vittorio Arrigoni, 36, a prominent member of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) and a human rights defender. In a video posted on the Youtube website, the group demanded the release of
detained members of the group, affiliates of the so-called "Salafist Jihadist Group". The kidnappers threatened to kill Arrigoni if the government in Gaza did not meet their demands within 30
hours.
In a grave development, contrary to fundamental values shared by all Palestinians, the group carried out their threat. On Friday morning, 15 April 2011, security services found the body of
Arrigoni in a house located in the 'Amer project area, west of al-Karamah building in the west of Jabalia, north of the Gaza Strip. In his testimony, a PCHR staff-member reported signs of beating
on the victim's face, signs of handcuffs on his hands, and signs of strangulation around his neck.
The Ministry of Interior in Gaza issued a press release on Friday, condemning this heinous crime. It declared the arrest of two members of the group and the continued search for others.
Arrigoni had worked in Gaza since 2008, when he arrived on board the "Free Gaza" flotilla, organized to break the closure imposed on the Gaza Strip. He devoted himself to the defense of
Palestinians' rights, and participated in a number of activities against the closure, against violations committed by Israeli Forces against Palestinian civilians, particularly fishermen, and
against the Israeli decision to impose a buffer zone in the Gaza Strip. He was arrested by Israel forces on18 November 2008, while he was accompanying a number of fishermen off the shores of Deir
al-Balah, central Gaza Strip. However, he returned to Gaza a few months later via Rafah International Crossing. Arrigoni was also in the West Bank for a few years before coming to Gaza. He has
been known for his activity with the International Solidarity Movement.
PCHR reiterates its condemnation of this heinous crime, and:
1. Calls upon the government in Gaza to conduct an effective and prompt investigation to identify the circumstances of the crime, prosecute the perpetrators, and publish the investigations'
results;
2. Appreciates the role played by the International Solidarity Movement and other human rights defenders in the occupied Palestinian territory;
3. Calls upon the international community, political powers and Palestinian people to condemn this crime and organize peaceful activities against it.
Vittorio Arrigoni: The man I knew
By Nicole Johnston
There is a packet of pipe tobacco sitting in my Gaza City apartment.
It's Victor's. He left it behind the last time I saw him, about one month ago.
Anyone who knew Italian activist Vittorio Arrigoni knew that he was usually puffing away on a pipe. Like a wise sea captain.
I had hoped to give his tobacco back to him this weekend, to catch up before he left Gaza and returned to Italy.
He was heading home to see his father, who has been very ill. Also to have a break from Gaza and return refreshed on a new flotilla aiming to set sail to Gaza at the end of May and break the
siege.
I last heard from him on Wednesday. It was a short text message asking me if I'd just heard the loud booms. These were sonic booms from low flying Israeli war planes. No, I replied, I
hadn't.
The following day he was kidnapped and shortly afterwards killed. Members of a Salafi group say they are responsible.
I first met Vik on a story inside Gaza's buffer zone. A team from the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) was accompanying a farmer and a dozen Palestinian women onto their land while they
harvested their crop.
This area has been declared a no-go area by Israel. Inside the buffer zone Israeli soldiers shoot and sometimes kill Palestinians. ISM hopes the international presence will deter the
Israelis.
It didn't seem much of a deterrent when we were there. Even with a film crew present Israeli troops fired shots. We crouched down low into the wheat.
Vik and his colleagues stood their ground. When they decided it was too dangerous to stay any longer, we followed them out. We went into the buffer zone once.
Gaza's ISM volunteers were doing it every week. Some say it was foolhardy bravery. But there was no doubting their commitment to the cause.
So after bonding in the buffer zone, I met Vik and his colleague, Adie Nistelrooy, many times. Sometimes it was over pasta, a seafood meal, or a shisha pipe and a World Cup football game.
The last time we all gathered, I thought I was farewelling them both from Gaza. A group of us ate, danced and watched the night slip away from my ninth floor apartment.
Adie did leave Gaza a day or two later. Vik ended up staying one month longer. A month that has changed everything.
The news of his death has shaken Gaza's small community of internationals and the Palestinians he counted as his dear friends. Italy has evacuated its nationals.
I often walk by myself through Gaza's dark streets at night, heading home from a café or after visiting a friend's apartment. Usually I carry a torch in the stretches of road where the
electricity has been cut. With Hamas police manning checkpoints and street corners across Gaza City, it felt safe.
Now I hope it still is. Because that's what Victor would have wanted.
To Vik: Gaza Will Stay
Human
by gazadoctor
Upon reading the updates from facebook friends in my news feed this morning that Vittorio Arrigoni, the kidnapped Italian journalist and beloved ISM worker, was found dead, my heart leapt! Leapt
might not be the perfect word as it implies excitement and happiness but I truly felt it leaping!
When I realized it was true and everyone was linking Vittorio's name to R.I.P., I was so shocked that I could hardly contain my feelings let alone identify them. Yet after reflecting on the news
for few more minutes, my thoughts on the subject crystallized.
This is how I understood it: Vittorio was Gaza's and Palestine's latest Shaheed. He was brutally mudredred by a bunch of lunatic criminals who are not in any way even remotely related to
Palestine and what Palestinians feel for Vittorio.
Vik, as friends called him, was kidnapped yesterday by a Salafist Islamic group that, in a film on YouTube, threatened to kill him if within 30 hours, starting from 11:00 local time, the Hamas
government did not liberate some Salafi detainees. Vittorio was killed without even half the time that the kidnappers stated as the limit having passed.
My conscious thinking kept telling me not to worry and that Vik will be released to safety soon; that I can start worrying on exceeding the 20-hours mark. My rationalization was fundamentally
wrong; monsters who allow themselves to abduct such a hero are not governed by any sense of reason.
Vittorio was assassinated. We lost him.
The big, strong and handsome Italian man was a volunteer with the International solidarity movement and served as a human shield while working with the Palestinian Red Crescent ambulances during
the Israeli attack on Gaza strip. He was especially known for accompanying the fishermen as they tried to ply their trade despite almost daily shootings at them from the Israeli navy, who
confined them to the fished-out, sewage-filled waters near the Gaza coast.
Vik received Palestinian citizenship and a passport when he sailed into Gaza port in August, 2008 and on his facebook page is written: lives in Gaza. That citizenship was a richly earned one; Vik
was a dedicated Palestinian who shared the people of Gaza the three-week aggression on the Strip as he shared them the too-sweet tea, traditional dishes and Shisha!
In his book, Gaza: Stay Human, Vittorio documents his experiences among the people of Gaza during Israel's attack in 2008-2009 and gives his first hand account of the inhuman actions the Gaza
strip witnessed at that time.
Vittorio,
human you wanted Gaza to stay and in Gaza you were inhumanely murdered.
For you, Rachel, Tristan, Tom and Juliano
I swear Gaza will stay human and Palestine will be free
STAY HUMAN
...Freedom Flotilla Renames Voyage in Honor of Vittorio Arrigoni
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Freedom Flotilla 2 Steering Committee
April 15, 2011 (London)
The murder of human rights activist, Vittorio Arrigoni, is a tragedy for his family, for those of us who knew him, and for the Palestinians who loved and admired him. The Steering Committee of
Freedom Flotilla 2 condemns this senseless murder and the people who are behind it. They took the life of one of the most passionate supporters of justice for Palestine. This murder is damaging
to the Palestinian struggle for freedom and justice as well as our work in support of that struggle.
In his honor, we are naming our next voyage, FREEDOM FLOTILLA STAY HUMAN.
Nothing that we write can capture the man who was so full of the joy of life, a man with the pipe in his mouth and the captain's hat always tilted at an angle on his head. The man with the big
smile and gentle nature, someone who used his physical strength to hold small children in his arms, sometimes several at a time. His laughter and his last comments every time we saw him will ring
in all of our ears as we board the boats to return to Gaza at the end of May.
Stay Human, he would say, then grin and clench his pipe in his teeth.
Vittorio had sailed with us on the first small boat to enter Gaza in the summer of 2008, one of 44 activists sailing to protest the illegal blockade imposed by Israel against the 1.5 million
Palestinians living in Gaza. We will do our best, Vik, to carry on the work you have done. The flotilla will return to Gaza in your honor.
Contact:
In English: Sion Art
In Italian: Mohamad Hannoun 00393477604355
In French: Annour Gharbu 0041792465703
In Arabic: Ramy Abdo 00447728021097
Online Records of an Italian's Life in Gaza
an extensive online record of his life in Gaza.
This undated video posted on YouTube on Thursday shows Mr. Arrigoni discussing his activism (note: at the start of the clip, he mistakenly said that he had arrived by boat in August 2009, but,
according to the Free Gaza Movement, the boat arrived in the territory on Aug. 23, 2008 and there was no challenge to the blockade a year later):
This video report from The Guardian includes archival footage of Mr. Arrigoni's arrival in Gaza in 2008 and his explanation, in English, of why he joined the movement to break the blockade.
GoodBye Vittorio Arrigoni, killed in Gaza 15\4\2011
Vittorio Arrigoni,36, Italian ISM volunteer in Gaza plus a respectable journalist who always made his best to shed a light on Gaza, was kidnapped yesterday by an unknown Group. The group
threatened to kill him if Hamas doesn't respond to their demand: which is to release one of their prisoners in Hamas jails. They gave Hamas 30 hours starting from 11am from 14\4\2011.
At 3 30am 15\4\2011 Reuters News Flash on twitter reported Vittorio's death, the source was unnamed Hamas source. Then tweets and rumors started asking about the credibility of this news, some
started denying while others were confirming. At 4 am Vittorio Arrigoni's death was confirmed by Hamas officials.
Ministry of Interior, Gaza, issued a press release saying that they immediately moved to search for him once they got the news of his abduction; they did their best until they reached 1 suspect
who led them to the other suspects and the place where Vittorio was held in. They entered and found Vittorio already dead. They arrested two suspects and doubt that more accomplices may be
involved.
The press release also referred that the crime came to shake Gaza's image and scare international activists away specially after the news of the preparations for a second freedom flotilla. The
press release pointed out that the abductors wanted him dead because they killed him after a short while of his abduction. The Ministry of interior promised to follow all the murders, prosecute
them and punish them.
The press release of the interior ministry in Gaza didn't mention more info, no mentioning of the where and when he was abducted, why he was abducted and by whom.
On the other hand, France 24 offered more details which I cant confirm or deny about Vittorio%u2019s death and abduction process without mentioning the source behind these info:
The Italian was killed by suffocation and his body was found in a street of the city of Gaza," a spokesman for the Islamist movement which controls the Gaza Strip told AFP.
Two suspected kidnappers were arrested and security officials are looking for accomplices.
Foreign aid workers in the enclave earlier named the man as Vittorio Arrigoni and said he was an activist with a pro-Palestinian group called the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), who was
also working as a journalist and writer.
Vittorio was Italian by birth but his dedication to Palestine and Gaza made him no less Palestinian than any other Palestinian, he came to Gaza many times and live here for a while. He endangered
his life numerous times while working as a volunteer with the ISM (International Solidarity Movement) in Gaza when he was trying to protect farmers and fisherman, in addition to his participation
in all buffer-zone protests.
Vittorio meant allot for Palestinians, Gazans and his friend everywhere. He is a huge loss for us all, may he rest in peace.
We will never forget you Vik.
Ghazawi Vittorio
by Nalan
Vittorio has been active in the Palestine cause for almost 10 years. For the past two and a half years, he has been in Gaza with the International Solidarity Movement, monitoring human rights
violations by Israel, supporting the Palestinian popular resistance against the Israeli occupation and disseminating information about the situation in Gaza to his home country of Italy.
Vic was more than this to me; he was my Italian friend who has a Palestinian heart. The brother for all Palestinians. who would sacrifices himself to protect fishermen and farmers. Who would say
words and prove them with actions. The captain of the ship . the pipe, beard, and koffia. The dude with big mussels and tattoos. The caring friend and brother. The supporter . the big hearted vic
who would do anything to draw smiles on Palestinian people's faces . with his smile you can feel faith. The believer. The ghazawi. The Palestinian. The hero . the martyr. Victor. Vittorio. I'm
sorry . I miss you . and you will always be in my heart.
One of his right hand's tattoos was resistance! How sarcastic life is! He is a true believer
today 15.4.2011 , we the ones who knew Vittorio- gathered at the gallery café after the Friday prayer, most of us knew him in person some just saw his smile here and there. A lot of media
coverage which is good so the whole world would know that not all Palestinians and gaza people like the gang which killed him , and also it was annoying bec. We needed some space to hold each
other and be there for each other and remember him in peace.
I was talking to one of my ISM friends , Selvia , she's also Italian and close friend to Vic , she said when they kidnapped him we didn't believe it , when the news of his death came out we
didn't either, even when I saw his body and it was him Nalan it was him , but I just can't believe it.
One of my questions to my friend, Nathan an American ISM activist, too, was: what your plans now? he answered powerfully: if you're asking if the ISM leaving, no we are Not . What happened to Vic
give us more power to stand up by the Palestinian people I was amazed with his answer, I said in my mind you guys are such believers, and I know you are feeling scared but hell yes you are No
cowards.
our tears will never dry on you Vic
We started managing for the march to al Jundi square the Unknown Soldier sq. where our sit-in was for couple of hours, and then we headed back to the gallery café, planning for the sit-in in
front of the UNDP with candles later at night. Before the march to al Jundi, we prepared posters was talking mostly about victor, our pain for losing him and our demands for the government to
punch the murderers!
candles for you our Hero Vittorio
we lightened these candels for you as you lightened our lives with your smile and belief.. we sang you your favorite song onadikom i'm calling you we sang some other songs full of pain, lost,
proud, faith, and much more tears within we will never forget you Victor.. i will never forget you.
Last time I saw Vic was couple of days ago at the beach restaurant, we caught up, life, Gaza, work, study. We shacked hands, I said bye, he said keep in touch! Which is unusual for my Vic to say
, he usually ciao or Salam or any other Italian word which could amaze me and make me laugh ! It rang in my head! But I ignored it as days would come and go and we will meet again. But days went
and took him with it and didn't bring him back. I didn't know that some people mean what they say deeply sometimes. I'm sorry Vic I wasn't there to protect you. Or to hold your hand as you always
held ours in bad times before good times.
He used to call me the most beautiful Palestinian journalist! And I call him now if you can hear me YOU ARE MY HERO! brother I will always miss you!
Haniyeh orders swift investigation after Italian activist murdered
The premier of Hamas' government has ordered its interior ministry to immediately open a criminal investigation leading to the killers of an Italian peace activist abducted by extremists in
Gaza.
Ismail Haniyeh said Friday that his government "strongly denounces" the killing of Vittorio Arrigoni, whose body was discovered in an empty house in Gaza City hours after he was seen in a random
video posted by Islamist extremists Thursday afternoon.
The murder "does not reflect the values, morals, or the religion of the Palestinian people "This is an unprecedented case that won't be repeated," he said at an emergency meeting to discuss the
crisis.
The government will consider Vittorio a Palestinian martyr and name a street after him, he said.
Hamas officials said Haniyeh called the Allegoni's mother to express his and his government's condolences for the death of her son. He explained the efforts the government is making to prosecute
those responsible. The killers will be brought to justice "as soon as possible" to deter any similar crime, he said.
Allegoni's mother thanked Haniyeh for the call and appreciated his efforts, the officials said.
Security forces will increase protection to members of the international solidarity campaigns to break the siege, and the government called on them to continue their efforts until the siege is
lifted.
This "crime comes in the time when Gaza is living in highest security situation because everyone who enters Gaza lives in security and stability," he said vowing to increase efforts to emphasize
that point.
The government has sent its condolences to the Italian government and people. It ordered the foreign ministry and government media office to intensify efforts to coordinate with concerned parties
and took a decision to form a delegation to Italy to pay its respects to the victim's loved ones.
EU foreign policy chief condemns Gaza murder
The EU foreign policy chief on Friday condemned the murder of an Italian activist in Gaza, saying it was even more "deplorable" considering his efforts for Palestinians.
"I strongly condemn yesterday's kidnapping and atrocious murder of the Italian citizen Vittorio Arrigoni," Catherine Ashton said in a statement. "I express my sincere condolences to his family
and friends."
She added: "This murder is all the more deplorable, as Vittorio Arrigoni has been helping the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip for many years. I urge everyone in the Gaza Strip to stop this
violence."
PFLP mourns the martyr Vittorio Arrigoni and calls for justice and accountability
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine denounces in the strongest terms the criminal murder of Italian solidarity activist Vittorio Arrigoni in Gaza, and offers its deepest condolences
to the family of the martyr, the Italian people, the global solidarity movement with the Palestinian people, and all who care for justice.
The Front expresses its shock and horror at this heinous and cowardly crime, which is completely averse to the ethics, principles and traditions of our people and our movement, that came against
a solidarity activist with Palestine, who had come to Gaza to be among our people and stand against suffering, siege, occupation and colonialism. This heinous crime only benefits the Israeli
occupation, while threatening great harm to the Palestinian people and its just cause of liberation and self-determination.
The Front called upon all to memorialize the martyr Vittorio Arrigoni, who lives on and stands among the great martyrs of our people, to continue on his path of justice, liberation, and
solidarity, and to exert the strongest efforts to hold all those responsible for this crime fully accountable before the Palestinian people.
