NEWS: Palestinian Hunger Strike

Palestinian inmates (approx 1,600) have gone on hunger strike in Israeli detention facilities, claiming a non-political protest against harsh conditions, including better contact with relatives and improved sanitary conditions. Authorities 'wont bow to pressure' and inmates could starve to death.



Can we expect Arab sympathy in any 'war on terror' if we cannot moderate our 'ally' in the region? Surely the death of thousands of prisoners, guilty or not, protesting against the same kinds of treatment people in Europe and the US were concerned about happening in Iraq and Cuba, will add much unnecessary flames to general Arab opinion. As Israel's chief guarantor, perhaps this could be the time for a little friendly pressure from the US.

Related News Links:
www.haaretzdaily.com

[edit on 8-15-2004 by Valhall]

Hallo??

I suggest you READ the link you provided.


Those inmates have been jailed in Israel for security related reasons, most of them have been being held since the outbreak of the intifada, in October 2000. (At that point, there were only 800 security inmates in Israeli prisons.)

The Prisons Service warned that if the inmates proceed with the hunger strike, they will lose privileges currently available to them, such as having television sets.


The hunger strike is being organized by the heads of the security prisoners, whose dominant leadership is affiliated with HAMAS.




Approving the inmates' main demands would allow them to manage terrorist activity from prison, organize and train groups, and lead attacks against Israeli territory.

Please explain which reason Israel should have to make it more easy for terrorists to plan the next attack.


Rebekka

Wow, what an unbiased article! [/sarcasm off]

Somehow the article forgot to mention some of the other 200 demands such as:
Access to public telephones, no more cell searches, also no partitions for visitors, facilities to cook own food, a computer, photo copier, fruit knife and refrigerator in every cell.

Gee, the only thing they forgot to ask for was access to 72 virgins.

Where the hell do they think they are? It's friggin prison, and not a tropical resort.


[edit on 16-8-2004 by magnetism87]

[edit on 16-8-2004 by magnetism87]

The first day of the strike passed relatively quietly.



In addition to setting up barbecues to whet the appetite of security prisoners, the Prisons Service is halting all family visits for the strikers, while radios and televisions have been removed from their cells. (haaretz)

The Prisons Service's two special units with expertise in crowd dispersal have made preparations in the event of a potential conflagration due to the hunger strike.

Preparations have also been completed for the possible mass evacuation of injured or ailing prisoners to hospitals.

A pipe bomb was found Monday morning on the security fence surrounding the Tel Mond prison (north of Kfar Sava) security at prisons across the country was increased.

The military wing of the Fatah has threatened to conduct kidnappings in order to identify with the strikers.



Rebekka

posted by Qoelet

Palestinian inmates (approx 1,600) have gone on hunger strike in Israeli detention facilities, claiming a non-political protest against harsh conditions, including better contact with relatives and improved sanitary conditions. Authorities 'wont bow to pressure' and inmates could starve to death.

If fat people can't go on a regular diet, what are the chance of a bunch of inmates completing the hunger strike.

One of the theories for the inmates' stance is that they need media attention to their lower influence over the Palestinian street.

The Palestinian Authority has found it difficult to transfer the more than $8 million that it officially provides to the families of inmates as economic aid packages, and has only managed to grant NIS 850,000 this year


Rebekka

A flashback of Homer Simpson on his hunger strike at the Springfield baseball game is now being conjured up as a result of coming across this topic.

It was the episode when the Springfield Baseball team changed its name and moved to Shelbyville.

I remember times when those "poor" prisoners took a prison guard into a cell and almost lynched him, until they heard that the elite METSADA unit is going in, and then they released him.

Those prisoners are dangerous, and most of them are terrorists who are responsible for killing people. And if you comare to other jails in the world: They have pretty good conditions. TV, nice cells, good food, gurads don't carry real weapons, etc'

Everyone can make a hunger strike, it doesn't mean it is justified.

What the hell point in planning attacks from a cell? Is it the view they have thru the bars?

The UK has had plenty of experience in keeping political prisoners and terrorists, and I cant say that a prison hunger strike ever ended well, for any sides concerned. The 'claim' of un-political prostest, is exactly that, merely a claim, but the conditions still wind up bringing on unnecessary turmoil and resentment. If the Israeli security services have such a good record with Human Rights... how could we question dare question their side of events.. I mean... these people are terrorists right? And compared to Moroccan jails or Vietnamese gulags.. they're really quite nice prisons...



The Israeli article i posted was to demonstrate the other side of the argument.. not to say.. well this article is lies.. and this one truth...

but now I know how most people feel about the western precepts of justice and r.o.law when applied 'abroad'... just keep on trusting that everythings just groovy

'ohh they hate ol Israel in them thar Europe' web.amnesty.org...

Originally posted by Qoelet
What the hell point in planning attacks from a cell? Is it the view they have thru the bars?

Yes they plan attacks and closer contact with the outside world through more visits and phone calls would enable prisoners to help militants at large plan attacks on Israelis



Don't forget, the strike is being organized by representatives of the inmates from the HAMAS and Islamic Jihad terror organizations as an attempt to strengthen their shaky status in the Palestinian street and focus the Arab world's attention on their predicament.





The Prisons Authority has already begun to implement retaliatory steps designed to break the hunger strike. These include forbidding prisoners to smoke, and intense searches for and confiscating cigarettes. Since tobacco is an appetite depressant, this is particularly onerous on hunger strikers, especially those addicted to nicotine.


Rebekka