The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) has denounced the illegal and undemocratic acts of airport security officials in Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion International Airport against Alexandra Liberi, a Greek journalist, who was travelling legally with all necessary documents to her destination in Palestine.

Liberi was arrested on Saturday, June 13, while en route as part of a mission of the WFTU to Ramallah in the Occupied West Bank, Palestine, to participate with other WFTU representatives in a seminar sponsored by the organization for IT and Internet training of young trade unionists.

Upon arrival at Israel’s Ben-Gurion airport, Ms. Liberi was arrested by airport security personnel who claimed that “WFTU is endangering the security of the State of Israel.” According to WFTU, a force of 15 policemen and one woman officer attempted to terrorize and intimidate Ms. Liberi with threats and verbal abuse. They tried to physically examine her person and take away trade union documents and materials prepared by the WFTU. She was kept in the Security Section of the airport for 11 hours, after which she was escorted and, against her will, placed on an airplane and deported from Israel. Under Israeli escort from Tel Aviv to Istanbul and then on to Athens, she arrived back in Athens on Sunday, June 14.

A WFTU delegation headed by the WFTU General Secretary George Mavrikos with members of the General Union of Palestinian Workers in Athens and PAME as they attempt to deliver at the Israeli embassy in Athens an official resolution of the WFTU supporting the recognition of the Independence of the State of Palestinian within the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital. (Photo: WFTU)

In a statement issued by the WFTU, the organization stated that “this incident is another in a series of cases which give good cause for the International Trade Union Movement: to denounce again, as loudly and clearly as possible the undemocratic and illegal practices of the government of Israel; to reinforce our internationalist solidarity with the heroic struggle of the Palestinian people; and to demand from international organizations that International law will be applied everywhere without exception.”

“We the members and friends of the WFTU are celebrating this year the 70th anniversary of the founding of the WFTU. On this occasion we announce once again that we are proud of our solidarity with the Palestinian people and with all Arab workers. Practices like those of the Israeli government will not intimidate us, nor will they stop us. On the contrary, they fortify us and demonstrate that we are on the right path. We shall continue the struggle and strengthen our internationalism,” the WFTU statement said.