Palestinian deportees protest over housing

Gardaí today confirmed they received an emergency call about a forced entry into the Palestinian embassy in Dublin but said no…

Gardaí today confirmed they received an emergency call about a forced entry into the Palestinian embassy in Dublin but said no one was arrested.

The incident yesterday afternoon saw two men, who were deported into the State following the ending of a siege at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in May 2002, force their way into a building on Dublin's Adelaide Road demanding resolution of housing issues.

The men, Mr Jihad JaAra (32) and Mr Rami Kamel (22), are former Palestinian Authority police officers.

According to Palestinian Ambassador Ali Halimeh, the men were not violent nor armed and were seeking to change their accommodation arrangements. "They wanted change to happen immediately, and they thought if they made some noise things would move quickly," he said.

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He admitted that gardaí, including a number of plain-clothed officers arrived but added they were not required.

Mr Halimeh said the dispute was resolved when he reached the embassy two hours after the men entered the embassy and spoke to the men.

He said the problem arose following the recent marriage of one of the men. They have been sharing accommodation but are now seeking separate housing.

He said this issue was being addressed in co-operation with the Department of Justice and that the men were both homesick. He said talks were ongoing with the Israeli authorities for their return to Palestinian Authority-authorised territory.