LONDON: The son of a 70-year-old Irish woman detained by Israeli authorities has issued a plea for her release, citing urgent concerns over her health and wellbeing, The Independent newspaper reported on Friday.
Deirdre Murphy, an Irish activist originally from Cork and now based in Swansea, was arrested last week in the West Bank village of Khalet Al-Daba’a, which was recently demolished by Israeli bulldozers.
She remains in custody at the Givon Prison in Ramla after choosing to challenge a deportation order issued against her, The Independent added.
Her son, Dale Ryan, called on Israeli authorities to ensure that she is treated “with dignity and respect” and urged them to “send her home quickly,” adding that he is “really proud” of his mother.
“Israel is meant to be a civilized country, so you think (the detainees’) basic rights would have been met. But maybe that trust is a little bit misguided,” Ryan told The Independent.
Ryan said that Murphy suffers from bronchiectasis, a long-term condition that causes inflammation of the airways in the lungs.
“Stress can make symptoms worse as well,” he said. “So I am a little bit concerned. I just hope my mother’s in good health, but also my mother is quite a resilient person. I know she will gain strength from this.”
Murphy was detained alongside Swedish national Susanne Bjork, 48, who told the newspaper that the pair were denied access to a toilet during their initial detention.
“Who doesn’t allow a 70-year-old woman to go to the toilet? It’s certainly not something a democratic country would be doing,” Bjork said.
She has since been deported from Israel.
Israeli police did not respond to the allegation when approached by The Independent.
According to the International Solidarity Movement, Murphy has not had legal counsel since Monday. The group also alleges that she was brought to a deportation hearing on Wednesday without legal representation and without her lawyer being notified, despite her request.
The two women had been in Khalet Al-Daba’a filming and monitoring settler activity when they were approached by a settler in military uniform, who demanded to see their passports. Bjork said that they were complying with orders to leave the area when they were apprehended.
Authorities later accused the women of being in a restricted area and of failing to show ID, allegations the Swedish woman rejects.
“These are completely false accusations,” she said. “As soon as they told us we were not allowed in the area, we tried to leave. The soldiers had at first our passports, and then the police took our passports. We complied with all instructions.”
Video footage obtained by The Independent shows armed Israeli personnel holding the women’s passports. The video ends before they were detained by the settler.
The women were released briefly on Saturday evening and then detained again after refusing to leave the country voluntarily. Murphy opted to fight her deportation, while Bjork agreed to depart.
Bjork added that their treatment in custody stood in stark contrast to the treatment of Palestinians, describing seeing “two small boys who were blindfolded and zip-tied” brought into the police station.
“They looked about 13 or 14, these boys were obviously terrified. I mean, we were getting water and being fed and everything, so we’re very privileged in one way, because the way we were treated and the way Palestinians are treated is wildly different,” she said.
A spokesperson for Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed to The Independent that consular assistance is being provided in Murphy’s case.
Israeli police told the newspaper that the women had been detained on “suspicion of violating a military order” and were barred from the West Bank for 15 days.
“Over the weekend, police received a report from the security coordinator of the community of Ma’on regarding the presence of several suspicious individuals near a structure in the area of Khirbet Al-Dab’a, located within an active military firing zone near the community of Avigayil in the South Hebron Hills,” they said.
“Officers from the Hebron station, along with IDF forces from the subdistrict, arrived at the scene and identified the individuals as two foreign nationals, who were present within the closed military zone in violation of a standing military order. Information provided by the Judea and Samaria Central Investigations Unit (YAMAR) indicated that one of the suspects are known abroad for involvement in anti-Israel activity.
“Following the hearing on Sunday, it was determined that both individuals would be removed from the country,” the statement continued.
“One of the suspects agreed to the removal order and signed a declaration stating that she would not appeal the decision. The second notified authorities of her intent to file a petition against the decision.”
They confirmed Murphy will remain in custody until “her departure or the legal resolution of her appeal.”
