Italian flotilla journalist: My credit card was used after IDF confiscated it
Journalist Manolo Luppichini has written Netanyahu, Peres, Barak, Lieberman and Israel's ambassador in Italy over the matter.
By Dimi ReiderAn Italian journalist who was detained by the Israel Defense Forces following the raid on the Gaza-bound flotilla says his credit card was used to purchase items after it was confiscated by the Israeli authorities.
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Israel Navy forces approach one of six ships of an aid flotilla bound for Gaza on May 31, 2010. |
| Photo by: Reuters |
Manolo Luppichini was aboard the Sfintoni-8000, one of the smaller boats in the flotilla, when the naval commandos took it over. "Nobody was killed on our boat," Luppichini said in a telephone call from Italy. "We tried a little passive resistance around the boat's bridge. The soldiers fired paint balls and two people were hurt by stun [taser] guns."
After the Israel Navy took over the boat, he said, the soldiers searched every passenger and confiscated everything they found. "They took two cameras, microphones, a stand and other equipment from me and my photographer. They took one of the cameras as I was taking photographs," says Luppichini, who was working for Italy's RAI-3 television and an Italian-Swiss television channel when he was detained.
"Afterward they took my wallet, passport, bag and all personal effects on the boat," he says.
Luppichini was taken to Ashdod port and then transferred to a Be'er Sheva prison compound, where he says he received a form saying his passport had been impounded.
On June 2 he was taken to an Immigration Authority compound and on the following day was deported. Although he showed the document proving Israel had confiscated his passport, he says he was deported without receiving any of his property or identification papers back.
A few days ago Luppichini discovered that while he was confined in Be'er Sheva and after he was back in Italy - a day after his deportation - purchases were made with his credit card, which the Israeli authorities had confiscated.
One purchase was from a vending machine in Tel Aviv for about NIS 10 on June 2, he says. Another purchase, for NIS 240, was made in Gedera's Village Market - while Luppichini himself was in Bologna, Italy.
"The sums were not large," he says, "among other things because it's a rechargeable credit card that had only 80 euros on it. But in principle it's theft, for all intents and purposes." Luppichini has written a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres, the foreign and defense ministers and to Israel's ambassador and consuls in Italy on the matter.
Luppichini says he wants to know who used his credit card, along with why and how. He is also demanding that all of his equipment be returned to him immediately.
The IDF spokesman released a statement saying that the flotilla passengers' personal belongings had been loaded onto the Turkish planes on which they were flown out of the country. All the magnetic media was confiscated for security reasons and the IDF is considering whether these items will be returned. If a Foreign Ministry and police inquiry leads to the suspicion that anyone has stolen Luppichini's credit card, the matter will be dealt with severely.
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Need to be careful Monolo, Israel is known for confiscating passports and then giving them to Mossad to carry out assassinations under the names of the passport holders. Remember the murder of the Palestinian leader in which over 20 passports had been copied? Israeli governments are good at murdering people.
Can anyone seriously say they find any of this either shocking or surprising? ...and after all, the same sort of thing goes in the Sudan, etc. As usual, people single Israel out and hold it to a totally inappropriate standard.
Plenty machines in Tel Aviv that vend cola, coffe and snacks allow purchase with a credit card. You just swipe it; no need to enter PIN code. Obviously, whoever did it just got himself a bag of chocolates or a coke or both. It says a PURCHASE wade made, not that money was withdrawn...
and thought he would get them if he made up a story to blame Israel.
sounds very strange to me since to minimum withdraw is 50NIS. Anyway, if this turns out be true than it should be punished severely
Soft drinks, chocolates, snacks like those operated by Mashkar....
# 15 you are right ! And as usual everything is a security problem and I suppose he is now antisemitic because he said something against the IDF
Tell us another more thrilling story. You capable to do it.
Manolo I guess this is one way to get some cheap publicity.We don't even know if what you are accusing us of is true.
I think it would be great if there were a few IDF soldiers sipping wine on the Amalfi Coast on Luppichini's credit card. Maybe next time some IDF could get Greta Berlin's credit cards and enjoy some nice R and R on her dime!
Sounds more like a debit card. He must have a VERY efficient bank-- to get notification of a debit card withdrawal within a week-- most banks give a monthly statement. Something doesn't really add up. If it did happen, though, there's a precedent-- a soldier who stole a credit card during Cast Lead is still in an army jail. For the nay-sayers, theft IS dealt with harshly in the IDF. Soldiers consider thiefs in their units as the lowest of the low.
Online banking's made it possible to see transactions posted to your credit card and account within hours if not minutes.
I can see my purchases on my debit/credit cards within minutes on my iPhone.
There is such things as Internet Banking, and sometimes users login and check their accounts. But obviously only in Europe.
YEA RIGHT...
What's going on here? This is inexcusable and needs to be chased down immediately.
you go to israel with only 80 euro on your credit card?why? you like your falafel without homous?
Some of the responses here give Israel a black eye. I'm sure the IDF doesn't condone this kind of activity. Any army has it's bad apples. Accept it and take action to correct. You bloggers that think it's cute and blame the victim are nothing but pin-heads.
and I'm sure they didn't mean any harm.
A nice made up story nice fary tale
An international inquiry into this matter of the stolen credit must be conducted immediately . I think this also calls for an immediate gathering of the UN General Assembly
you cannot withdraw coins from a vending machine and 10 NIS is a coin only. To go to the length to figure out the password and get it right within three attemptsand withdrawing only 10 NIs after this effort sounds strange as well. but strange things happen all the time.
It is not strange - my daughter who is in the army uses my credit card to buy a can of coke via the vending machine -and that's less than 10 NIS. This guy's complaint sounds genuine and I hope the culprit is severely punished however, it is an individual who perpretrated the crime, not the IDF.
Dera Mr.. Luppichini take notice that your card has been used inselfdefense by the IDF ftom your actions to attack with flottilla Israel
This is as vile as it could get.
So what? They have stolen lands, oil, properties, people's happiness, and it is so something ordinary to take a credit card. Please publish my comment.
They're gonna 'severely' deal with whomever stole from this guy. Good. Now about the five people who were shot in the back or the back of the head... any word on how the murderers will be dealt with? My bet is on them getting a medal. See, they're too used to dealing with Palestinian civilians, nobody notices anymore if they're shot and killed. Poor little Israel, nobody likes you, here baby, cry on this shoulder.
Patrick, If you hate Israel so much, why are you reading one of its newspapers?
Israel can do no wrong so if you criticize things it does you must "hate" it and if you read Haaretz it must be because you are an "antisemite." You see how it works?
How can you hate Israel by telling the facts. Just that truth hurts.
Throwing you overboard or trying to bring down a helicopter containing your fellow soldiers Autopsies were done under the auspices of Islamist Turkey.Who were the impartial observers at the autopsies? We are still waiting for the bullet that killed Mohamed al Dura to be produced after that autopsy yet the instant "truth"was he was killed by Israelis
Your evidence being?? Where were" the freedom lovers "of Ireland while Iranian bodyguard thugs were beating up IN IRELAND anti Iranian demonstrators when they dared to shout out at the Iranian foreign minister? Who did the Garda arrest? why the peaceful demonstrators of course,not the Iranian thugs doing the beating up Shame on Ireland!!
any such card requires security code access and guessing this code is nearly impossible... not in two days. A theif could have gotten in on the cards, it happens. I would love to see how this story ends.
You only need the code if you're using a debit card. The journalist's _credit_ card is what was misused. All it takes is a simple swipe at a physical merchant to charge the card..
I was in an unnamed country and my purse was stolen along with credit cards. Before I got a chance to cancel the cards the thief had charged $600 to my card. The thief did not need the security code.
You can run most debit cars as credit cards.
Usually, they demand to show your ID card, when you use your credit card, especially, if this is an international card - even if a soldier stole it, he still did not look Italian. That said, shit happens...
What archeological studies confirm the existence of that country?
A bit too silly even for an Israel basher, no?
Lucky journalist, no ransom was to be paid for releasing him.
Who refuse to take them because they prefer scoring political points over the welfare of their people. Something that is ignored by their cheer squad who prefer the romanticized narrative of black and white in this conflict
yes, they know how to steal things. They did this with palestinian land, water, houses what can you accept from them to give your card back. if you ask they will call you a terrorist maybe you are al qaida member how dare you ask it back