Action urged as Israel punishes dozens of hunger-striking political prisoners

Maureen Clare Murphy Activism and BDS Beat 4 October 2011

Thousands of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip rallied in recent days in support of political prisoners who are protesting worsening conditions in Israeli detention. Thousands of prisoners are said to be taking part in the civil disobedience protests which began on 27 September.

The Electronic Intifada reported in August that the Israeli government was imposing harsher measures on Palestinian political prisoners by banning academic study. Ending the abuse of solitary confinement is also a key demand of the civil disobedience campaign.

Another demand is the resumption of family visits. As The Electronic Intifada reported earlier this year, Palestinians in Gaza have escalated the regular sit-ins at the International Committee of the Red Cross because Israel has denied visits to imprisoned family members — a collective punishment measure leveled after an Israeli soldier was captured by Palestinian resistance forces in Gaza.

National unity amongst political prisoners

While national unity efforts between the Hamas and Fatah parties remain at an impasse, detainees affiliated with the two groups are uniting with prisoners associated with the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), who initiated the civil disobedience campaign.

Ma’an News Agency reported yesterday:

The rallies were held as inmates saw through the seventh consecutive day of a hunger strike to protest against worsening conditions for Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons.

…

On Sunday, prisoner support group Addameer said Palestinian detainees affiliated to Hamas and Fatah were joining the Popular Front prisoners who launched the strike, protesting the treatment of PFLP leader Ahmad Saadat, who has been held in isolation for three years.

Director of the Abu Jihad center for prisoners affairs at al-Quds university Fahd Abu al-Hajj said Sunday that 3,000 or so prisoners were taking part.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli Prisons Authority of the number of prisoners who refused food last week, but by Monday, IPA spokeswoman Sivan Weizman said “160 prisoners” were observing a hunger strike.

Israeli Prison Service punishing protesting prisoners

The Palestinian human rights group Addameer (addameer.info) reported on Sunday that prisoners are being punished for their civil disobedience protest. Punishment includes transferring prisoners, as well as withholding salt water from prisoners waging hunger strikes.

Addameer stated:

On 27 September 2011, Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons announced the start of a campaign of disobedience to protest an escalating series of punitive measures taken against them by the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) in recent months. The campaign is composed of several elements, including a hunger strike and refusal to cooperate with a number of IPS rules, such as wearing prison uniforms and participating in multiple daily roll calls.

As of 2 October, all Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) prisoners — who launched the campaign — in all Israeli prisons were participating in the campaign on a full-time basis, including an open-ended hunger strike. The campaign has now gained further momentum, with prisoners from other political factions gradually joining the campaign on a part-time basis, whereby they will take part in acts of disobedience three days a week (Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday). In Ramon, Eshel and Nafha prisons, Hamas leaders joined the campaign on 1 October on a part-time basis, and in Ashqelon prison, Fatah and Hamas prisoners are also participating on a part-time basis. In Ofer and Naqab prisons, although a number of prisoners from other political factions have already joined in the campaign on a part-time basis, representatives of all factions will reach a final decision on the matter on 4 October. In Ofer prison in particular, it is estimated that by the end of the week, 250 Hamas prisoners will join the strike on a part-time basis.

The IPS has already started punishing participating prisoners in an effort to undermine the campaign. On 1 and 2 October respectively, it transferred 28 PFLP prisoners from Naqab prison and 6 PFLP prisoners from Ofer prison to as-of-yet unknown locations. In Naqab prison, the IPS also confiscated the hunger-striking prisoners’ only nourishment, salted water.

Addameer issues action appeal

Addameer issued an email alert yesterday, urging action to support the demands of Palestinian political prisoners:

On 27 September 2011, Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons announced the start of a campaign of disobedience to protest an escalating series of punitive measures taken against them by the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) in recent months. The campaign is composed of several elements, including a hunger strike and refusal to cooperate with a number of IPS rules, such as wearing prison uniforms and participating in multiple daily roll calls.

…

The Palestinian prisoners have made several key demands, some of which are listed below:

- End the abusive use of isolation;

- End restrictions on university education in the prisons;

- End the denial of books and newspapers;

- End the shackling to and from meetings with lawyers and family members;

- End the excessive use of fines as punishment;

- And ultimately end all forms of collective punishment, including the refusal of family visits, night searches of prisoners’ cells, and the denial of basic health treatment.

TAKE ACTION!

In response to these demands, we are calling on all activists and supporters of human rights and justice for the Palestinians to take action in solidarity with the hunger strikers. There are two important ways in which to take action:

- Organize a protest, silent vigil or similar public action outside the Israeli embassy in your country and highlight the demands of the political prisoners. Addameer can send you further information on particular prisoners who are engaged in the hunger strike to support your action.

- Write a letter to the Israeli Prime Minister expressing your concern for the hunger strikers and demanding an end to the arbitrary treatment of Palestinian prisoners.

Please keep Addameer informed of any action you are planning to take and any response given by the Israeli authorities.

 

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Comments

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Joe Catron replied on

Probably a dumb question, but:

"Punishment includes transferring prisoners, as well as withholding salt water from prisoners waging hunger strikes."

Salt water? What am I missing?

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Kevin Squires replied on

Hi Joe,

The salt and water extends the period someone can survive on hunger strike to between 50-70 days. When one goes on 'hunger and thirst strike', one dies after around 20-25 days.

Regards,
Kev

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Allan Gordon replied on

I am happy to write to the Israeli Prime Minister about the denial of Basic Human Rights to Palestinian Prisoners. Could youkindly let me have his address please.

Allan

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martina replied on

Call, write, fax or e-mail the U.S. State Department, Red Cross and the Israeli Embassy to ask them to end the suffering of Palestinian political prisoners held in Israeli jails. Show your solidarity for Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike.

U.S. State Department
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Dept. of State
Washington, DC 20520
State Dept. Public information Line: 202-647-6575

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
P.O. Box 372
CH-1211
Geneva 19
Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 730 42 22
Fax: +41 22 733 03 95

International Federation of Red Cross New York Delegation to the UN
420 Lexington Avenue
Suite 2811
New York, NY 10170
USA
Tel: (212) 338 0161
Fax: (212) 338 9832

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
19 Avenue de la paix
CH 1202
Geneva, Switzerland
Fax: +41 22 733 20 57

ICRC Media and Public Relations Officer for Middle East
Hicham HASSAN
Tel: +41 22 730 25 41
Mobile: +41 79 536 92 57
hihassan@icrc.org

American Red Cross National Headquarters
2025 E Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
202 303 4498
(1) 800 RED CROSS

Israeli Embassy
3514 International Dr. NW
Washington, DC 20008-3021
Tel: 202-364-5500
Fax: 202.364.5423

Washington Report on Middle East Affairs Washington Report on Middle East Affairsinfo@wrmea.com

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Chris Cook, Pacific Free Press replied on

Greetings Ms. Murphy; I read this with great interest, and wonder if you would be interested in seeing it, and other of your articles republished at PFP? Please let me know if so.

cheers
chris

Maureen Clare Murphy

Maureen Clare Murphy's picture

Maureen Clare Murphy is senior editor of The Electronic Intifada.