Impostor Lures Activist to Israeli Police Sting

An interview with Frank Romano conducted by renowned documentary film director Guy Davidi.

Frank Romano, interviewed in Paris by Guy Davidi. (March 6th, 2019)

(SALEM, Ore.) - An interview with Frank Romano has been released, a precursor to the larger story, conducted by renowned documentary film director Guy Davidi.

Guy Davidi and Emad Burnat co-directed the film “5 Broken Cameras” which was nominated for a 2013 Academy Award and won the 2013 International Emmy Award. It also won a 2012 Sundance Film Festival award, as well as the Golden Apricot at the 2012 Yerevan International Film Festival and Armenia, for Best Documentary Film.

Activist Romano's work in Palestine and Israel is discussed, and in particular, the attempts by himself along with other activists to prevent the destruction of “Al Khan al Ahmar,” the Bedouin village.

Romano warns Netanyahu of the strong ICC case against him as a “war criminal,” especially if he destroys “Al Khan al Ahmar!”

In fact, many believe the ‘Regulation Law’ directly violates the Fourth Geneva Convention, and will be grounds for a case against Israel in The Hague. The ‘Regulation Law’ allows for the seizure of private Palestinian property, in an effort to retroactively legalize settlements built on stolen land.

The Palestinian village of Khan al Ahmar is at imminent risk of demolition because it is located near Jerusalem on land between an Israeli settlement and one of its elite suburbs.

Simply put, Israel's plan would link the Israeli settlements with West Jerusalem, and completely cut off Palestinian access to Jerusalem.

The residents of Khan al Ahmar were forcibly relocated to this area in 1951 from the village of Tel Arad in Israel’s Negev Desert. The residents are mostly Bedouin, who make their living by herding livestock.

Today, the village has 160 structures including a school, clinic, mosque, and many homes. The school serves nearly 200 students, including many girls, from the village and surrounding area.

Romano describes his arrest, imprisonment in Jerusalem, and his eventual release. He explains why he was later forced to go underground in Ramallah, a city controlled by Palestinian police, to avoid arrest by Israeli police.

Romano was lured out of Ramallah to return to “Al Khan al Ahmar,” in Area C which is controlled by Israeli police, on February 23rd, for an interview with a well-known French journalist.

Eager to publicize the struggle for survival of Khan al Ahmar, Frank Romano agreed to the meeting. Unfortunately, the people he trusted were actually Israeli agents.

It was a trap!

As soon as the interview had begun, standing in front of the village of “Al Khan al Ahmar” with the impostor journalist, 4-5 Israeli police cars drove up and arrested Romano, returning him to prison.

He was deported to France the next day, on February 24th. This interview was conducted in Paris, France, on March 6th, 2019.

Watch the VIDEO below, by director Guy Davidi:

What can you do for Khan al Ahmar?

• Contact the State Department through your usual channels. Urge U.S. Consul General Donald Blome to visit Khan Al Ahmar school this week and to do all he can to prevent demolition. (Please note: Diplomats from the U.N., the E.U. and many European governments, along with Palestinian officials, visited and are expressing concern to their Israeli counterparts. Staff from the U.S. Consulate visited Khan Al Ahmar on March 5th.)
• Call the Israeli Embassy to say you care about peace, and you care about the children of Khan al Ahmar. Please express your concern about the destruction of their school, and their families' homes and livelihoods. Please say that the demolition of a school does not serve the cause of peace.
• Ask that Justice Sohlberg recuse himself for conflict of interest from further deliberations on this case and all future cases involving villages in Area C.
• Ask the Government of Israel to instead approve the master plan of the village of Khan al Ahmar and recognize the human right of Palestinians in Area C — including the Bedouin— to live, build, earn a living and go to school in their communities.