Italian Journalist/Activist Abducted in Gaza
April 14, 2011 21:33 by Pesach Benson
Sky News reports that a group of Salafists inspired by Al-Qaida just kidnapped an Italian journalist in Gaza. Their video (via Gaza Times) demands that Hamas release their “holy warriors” from detention.
The video identifies the Italian as Vittorio Arrigoni.
This abduction isn’t as straightforward as the Alan Johnston affair. That’s because the International Solidarity Movement says Arrigoni is one of its activists. AP writes:
Huwaida Arraf, co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement, said the abducted man in the video appeared to be one of its activists. She asked that his name be withheld.
ISM operates in the West Bank and Gaza and is known for trying to prevent the Israeli military from carrying out its missions. Arraf said this activist has been going in and out of Gaza for more than two years.
That would certainly describe Arrigoni, who apparently traveled to Gaza on one of the earlier ship convoys. Here’s one video I found describing him as an “activist.” Even if you can’t read Italian, the images on his Arrigoni’s Facebook page get his message across.
I don’t know who Arrigoni works for, but when you mention ISM and journalist, two people I think of are Lauren Booth and Ewa Jasiewicz. Both would rather make news than cover it.
Booth’s well-known for being trapped in Gaza after spearheading the first attempt to break the blockade of Gaza (for which she was namd Dishonest Reporter of 2008). And Jasiewicz was deported from Israel in 2004 after she abused her press card to interfere with IDF counter-terror work.
There’s a lot of irony that Salafists kidnapped a foreign supporter of the Palestinian cause in order to score points with Hamas. The prospect of Hamas refusing to negotiate a prisoner swap with terrorists – even as they still deny Red Cross access to hold Gilad Shalit and play mind-games to pressure Israel – is even more so.
But irony aside, let’s hope Arrigoni emerges from captivity quickly and safely.
Babs
1:40 am
Apr 15, 2011
“..But irony aside, let’s hope Arrigoni emerges from captivity quickly and safely…”
Why? You can’t dodge karma. This questionable idiot is on record as saying that he hopes that Gilad Shalit rots in captivity. Why not let’s afford him the same privilege?
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
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T34
11:37 am
Apr 15, 2011
I see the BBC has no problem calling this murder.
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Viiit
1:04 pm
Apr 15, 2011
Poor imbecile is now dead.
Obsessed with the need to do good, he was supporting the Pal-Arab hairs to the Nazis.
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Steve Mann
1:29 pm
Apr 15, 2011
Just come off of Guardian on line- comment-
Of all the stories on its web page the one they do not let you comment on is the Murder of Vittoria Arrigoni-
How cynical can a newspaper get!
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Steve Mann
1:30 pm
Apr 15, 2011
When you ride the back of a tiger- one day it will throw you off and eat you.
How apt-
I have no sympathies whatsoever.
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Charles Mark
8:54 am
Apr 16, 2011
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2011/0416/1224294802343.html
Check out how the Irish Times ( Ms Michael Jansen) spins the story to highlight an anti- Israel conspiracy theory put out by Hamas.
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Flavia
6:42 pm
Apr 16, 2011
I’m usually sympathetic with the cause of correctness in news reporting, bu today I’m totally discouraged reading such heartless comments about a young activists murdered in that godforsaken place you call israel/palestine for doing his duty, with courage and generosity. His duty, as he saw it, was to help the poor citizen of Gaza, persecuted both by their own leaders and by israeli policy. His duty was to report what he saw, and by doing so trying to inspire enough people with enough goodwill to end the living hell life in gaza has become. He was no terrorist, he solidarized with the palestinians but that’s not a crime, yet, and his well known motto was: stay human. He came from a family of “partesans” who fought against the nazi-fascists in northern italy during WW2. He was a partesan, but he was an honest one and didn’t content himself with blabbing some triviality about injustice but decided to do what he could to help. An imbecile, obviously. He should have left things run their course, or let the IDF take care of things, or follow the example of the very humane lot of readers of this website. Stay human, if you at all can.
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A Year of Dishonest Reporting — Why The Guardian Won | The Conservative Papers
1:31 pm
Dec 15, 2011
[...] topic: Vittorio Arrigoni, a member of the International Solidarity Movement in Gaza who was kidnapped and murdered by [...]
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