Palestinian Prisoners Hunger Strike Continues in Israel On 17 April 2012 more than 1,200 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails began a hunger strike to protest against what they say is the harsh and degrading treatment received by detainees in Israel. The protesters, who are accepting only water and salt, want practices such as prolonged solitary confinement and intrusive night searches of prisoners and their cells to be stopped. Further, they have asked for the relaxation of visiting rules, the re-instatement of the right to study for high school exams and university degrees and the abolition of the practice known as “administrative detention” which allows the Israeli military to arrest and detain individuals for prolonged periods without trial. The Financial Times’ Tobias Buck reported that at least 320 Palestinians are currently held as administrative detainees, some for several years. This number is confirmed by figures released by the NGO Palestinian Prisoners’ Club (PPC). The head of the PCC, Qadoura Fares, has said that a large number of detainees had set a deadline at the end of the month for the Israeli authorities to meet their demands but the Israeli authorities refused to be pressed into concessions and instead responded on 23 April by curtailing visiting rights, confiscating items such as electronics, separating the protesters from inmates not taking part in the hunger strike. Amani Sarahna of the PPC said, “all the prisoners’ belongings were confiscated except their towels and their shoes”. She added that prison authorities had taken away the salt from those refusing to eat. The debate over the practice of administrative detention was revived by prisoner Khader Adnan, a member of Islamic Jihad, who refused food for 66 days. Adnan, who was released on 17 April, has become a symbol of Palestinian resistance. He has recounted his experiences in an interview with al Jazeera. According to Mr Fares the strikers are confident they can win the struggle: “In the past, 90 per cent of these strikes were successful. All the rights we have achieved [for Palestinian prisoners] so far were achieved as a result of hunger strikes – not because of the Israeli government.” For further information, please see the following links: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/23/us-palestinians-israel-strike-idUSBRE83M0WX20120423 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0db974fe-8896-11e1-a727-00144feab49a.html#axzz1sxBKV1QR http://www.jta.org/news/article/2012/04/18/3093121/former-palestinian-hunger-striker-released |
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