Palestinian footballer, Mahmoud Sarsak, released after 3 years in an Israel jail

[bcarrier]

 

and well done to you give her dixie for highlighting his plight.

[theticklemister]

Yes Give er Dixie I would like to echo bcarriers sentiments.

Well done in promoting this!

[give her dixie]

Thanks guys for the messages.

In Gaza they don't really get to celebrate many victories, however, today they got
to welcome Mahmoud back home after his victory against Israel.

He sure is one special footballer.....



Mahmoud kissing his mother upon arriving in Gaza




Mahmoud arriving in Gaza



Israel has released a member of the Palestinian national football team who lobbied for his freedom by going on hunger strike for more than three months.

Mahmoud Sarsak greeted well-wishers in his native Gaza on Tuesday after three years in Israeli custody without charges or trial.

Israel has accused Sarsak of being active in Islamic Jihad, a claim he has denied.

During his hunger strike, the 25-year-old athlete shed nearly half his weight.

He ended the fast last month as part of a deal for his release. International sports organisations had sought his release.

At a Gaza hospital, Sarsak emerged from an ambulance and kissed his parents and siblings.

Israel had said earlier that he was to be released on Tuesday.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/10/palestinian-footballer-mahmoud-sarsak-freed?newsfeed=true

[dillinger]

Report says he shed nearly half his weight during his hunger strike. Even with him putting some on again he must have been one fat footballer.

[ONeill]

He does look in remarkably good shape.

[mylestheslasher]

Some good news but sad that 3 years of a mans life are gone for nothing. Time will tell what effects his efforts had on his health. 

[give her dixie]

Great show starting on TG4 now on the brutal siege of Gaza.

Excellent show and well worth watching

[Tony Baloney]

Some good news but sad that 3 years of a mans life are gone for nothing. Time will tell what effects his efforts had on his health.

That's internment. Generally all for nothing with no apology or comeback at the end of it. Cnuts.

[stew]

Great show starting on TG4 now on the brutal siege of Gaza.

Excellent show and well worth watching

In fairness, what about the Palestinian attacks on Israel, do you concede that they have killed innocent Israeli women and children over the last few years?

Have you any concern for the people of Israel or are you anti Jew to a fault?

[stew]

He does look in remarkably good shape.

So thats what a three hundred pound soccer player looks like!

Propaganda at it's worst, half his body weight  gone my hole.

[theticklemister]

Giver er dixie, caught the second half of that, good man.

A bit disgusting about the bit E multiplied by F divided by C etc part of the programme. In the words of that woman 'Just what they need to basically survive.' All the Israeli ministers who consented the form's names were blacked out

[give her dixie]

Giver er dixie, caught the second half of that, good man.

A bit disgusting about the bit E multiplied by F divided by C etc part of the programme. In the words of that woman 'Just what they need to basically survive.' All the Israeli ministers who consented the form's names were blacked out

Unbelievable that they calculated the bare minimum that it would take survive without killing them wholesale. In fact, only for the tunnels that brought in so much food many people would have died.

Although the siege has been "Eased" following the massacre on the Mavi Mamara, it is still in place and the sea route is still closed off. With a new President in Egypt making promises to lift the siege on the Rafah crossing to allow goods in and out, things look very hopeful. Only time will tell.....

[give her dixie]

TG4 link to watch the show that was broadcast last night on the siege on Gaza. Well worth watching, but not sure if it available to watch outside Ireland.

http://www.tg4.ie/en/tg4-player/tg4-player.html?id=1740338700001&title=F%C3%ADorsc%C3%A9al

[magpie seanie]

Great show starting on TG4 now on the brutal siege of Gaza.

Excellent show and well worth watching

In fairness, what about the Palestinian attacks on Israel, do you concede that they have killed innocent Israeli women and children over the last few years?

Have you any concern for the people of Israel or are you anti Jew to a fault?

So I'm assuming you'd have had great sympathy with the Brits for the IRA attacks on them in the 70's and 80's. Would you be a big fan of Thatcher by any chance? Would her policies have had anything to do with the reaction of the IRA? Come on Stew - would have given you credit for more than that.

You cannot give any criticism of Israel without the anti-semitism card being played and frankly its a joke. For a people that were so persecuted to inflict the same on others defies belief. Then if you criticise them you're in the same boat as the Nazis.

[stew]

Great show starting on TG4 now on the brutal siege of Gaza.

Excellent show and well worth watching

In fairness, what about the Palestinian attacks on Israel, do you concede that they have killed innocent Israeli women and children over the last few years?

Have you any concern for the people of Israel or are you anti Jew to a fault?

So I'm assuming you'd have had great sympathy with the Brits for the IRA attacks on them in the 70's and 80's. Would you be a big fan of Thatcher by any chance? Would her policies have had anything to do with the reaction of the IRA? Come on Stew - would have given you credit for more than that.

You cannot give any criticism of Israel without the anti-semitism card being played and frankly its a joke. For a people that were so persecuted to inflict the same on others defies belief. Then if you criticise them you're in the same boat as the Nazis.

Seanie, Israel is at fault for most of this situation, all I am saying is that GHD seems to have scant regard for the innocents that are killed by the Palestinians.

I had sympathy for innocent brits that were killed by the IRA, as for Thatcher if I was one to wiish anyone dead, which I am not, it would have been her.

Some Muslim countries want to blow Israeli off the face of the earth and have stated so publicially, that, to me is anti semitism and i do not think it would killGHD to have some sense of balance, what is wrong with that?