After 77 days, Thaer Halahleh to end hunger strike as Israel agrees to release, father tells EI blogger

Palestinian protesters outside the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) during a protest in Gaza City, to show solidarity with Palestinian prisoners, May 13, 2012. APA images

Palestinian prisoner Thaer Halahleh has agreed to end his hunger strike after 77 full days, on 15 May, EI blogger Linah Alsaafin tweeted after speaking with his father a short time ago.

Halahleh’s agreement reportedly comes after Israel agreed to release him from “administrative detention” – without charge or trial – on 5 June.

Alsaafin’s report came after a day of conflicting media reports about a “deal” to end a mass hunger strike of more than 2,000 Palestinian prisoners that began on 17 April. Media reports of an overall deal, which have cited almost exclusively Israeli and Palestinian Authority sources, should be treated with caution and are difficult to independently verify as Israel severely restricts the access of media, lawyers and family members to prisoners.

Bilal Diab reportedly accepts deal

Moments ago, a producer for Al Jazeera English said that family members of Bilal Diab, who has been on hunger strike as long as Halahleh, had accepted a similar deal and confirming information about Halahleh:

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Violence only invites more violence, but non-violence on its own is not enough; it must be accompanied with a real effort to win over the hearts of those on the other side through open and honest communication.

I salute the hunger strikers, and wish tem all a return to full health and to freedom, but my fellow countrymen/women mostly see them as dangerous terrorists. This can and must change, and we all can and must be part of the effort.

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It is criminal that Israel holds people at its discretion for as long as it wants without charges. Palestinians have gone on hunger strikes until they have nearly died and the international community has been firing human rights violations at Israel. Amazingly, the Israelies have found now is the time to release Thaer Halahleh and Bilal Diab. Families are telling reporters their sons will end hunger strikes for non renewal of detention.

It's time for Israel to stop detaining without cause. Do unto others!

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While I am certainly glad for the people involved, the issue is much greater then them and regardless of what a form letter I received from JVP said, this is not a significant win. The reality is that Israel has no right to be holding any of these folks and until they are forced to stop and release all prisoners immediately, they are still winning.

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Anything that jars Israelis out of their apathy, denial, and total reliance on the security apparatus, which generally has complete control over the discourse, the bodies, minds and souls is a significant victory, Richard.

I'd like to focus my efforts on getting Israelis (and their supporters abroad, who generally see things in much more black-and-white extremes than Israelis do -- compare the tone of Haaretz and even Ynet to the line taken by Jewish establishments abroad) to recognize the harshness of the treatment of Palestinians in matters that have nothing to do with genuine security needs, policies like withholding of corpses of Palestinians killed in action, denial of family unification, conditions in prisons, etc. that are signs of cruel and unusual punishment that delegitimize us as a civilized society more than any boycott ever could. I think the hunger strike, aside from being a powerful indication of Palestinian determination and courage, also might indicate to Israelis that the ferocity that characterizes much of our dealing with the Palestinians is inhumane and unbecoming of us.

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COMPLETE VICTORIES DON'T COME OVERNIGHT. THE REVOLUTION TAKES A LIFETIME. THE GREAT TEACHERS OF NONVIOLENT STRUGGLE ALL ACKNOWLEDGED THIS: MARTIN LUTHER KING JR., GANDHI, DOROTHY DAY, ET. AL. IT TAKES A LIFETIME OF STRUGGLE. ONE OF THE LESSON OF THE 1960s WAS THAT TOO MANY PEOPLE EXPECTED TOTAL REVOLUTION IMMEDIATELY, AND THEN THEY WERE DISAPPOINTED AND DROPPED OUT. LET'S STAY IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL! HI HO!