The Forgotten Palestinian Prisoners

The Forgotten Palestinian Prisoners

by Gary Spedding

It is an easy thing for 
many people today to forget about the individual human being when 
looking at the situation in the State of Israel and the Occupied 
Palestinian Territories, especially when talking about the topic of 
prisoners.

A mother of two imprisoned Palestinians wipes away a tear at a Bethlehem 
protest against worsening prison conditions (Brendan Work PNN).

In recent days within the State of Israel mass celebrations can be seen in the streets and public spaces marking the release of Israeli Defence 
Forces sergeant Gilad Shalit a man whose face is known all over the 
world thanks to the media publicity of the one captive that was held by 
the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza strip. The release of 
sgt. Shalit is a positive step forward in terms of his Human Rights 
indeed B'tselem and various other typically pro-Palestinian 
organizations in Israel and even Palestinian organizations themselves 
such as PCHR in Gaza called for an end to the inhumane and illegal 
treatment of Gilad Shalit.

The question to be 
asked is why so many people know about Gilad Shalit and his story whilst over 5554 Palestinian prisoners are being forgotten with their images 
not shown, their stories not told and their humanity not even 
recognized. We must always remember never to compare the number of 
prisoners or even try to trivialize the suffering of Gilad Shalit in 
some callous comparison that is cruel and undermining not just to Shalit but also to Palestinian prisoners who suffer horrofically in Israeli 
Prisons. What we indeed must look at is the treatment of Prisoners and 
whether they are being held illegally without charge or trial. It is 
important to mention however that while the world pretty much know and 
would probably recognize Gilad Shalit if they bumped into him now he is 
free it leaves us wondering whether anyone would recognize Moatasem Raed Younis Muzher or Hamdi Tamri just two of Israel's 211 child prisoners 
whom are no older than Gilad Shalit when he was taken in 2006.

What is most shocking about the forgotten prisoners of Palestine is that 
unlike in the media which inaccurately claims the Palestinian prisoners 
are terrorists including in shocking reports staking claim to the idea 
that the Gilad Shalit prisoner swap was a wrong move because it would 
release 1000 "Terrorists" the reality is that most prisoners held by 
Israel are done so without any crime ever being committed with at least a thousand prisoners being held without judgement, trial or accusation. 
These detentions come as a result mainly from the discriminatory and 
frighteningly discretionary (left up to the commander in charge to 
decide upon) military laws Palestinians are subject to which results in 
them being put under administrative detention as was the case with 
Abdullah Abu-Rahmah from Bil'in.

Amnesty 
international reporting on the case of Abdullah states that "Many 
Palestinian participants in demonstrations are arrested and held briefly before being released, but a few are convicted or held in 
administrative detention and therefore without charge." in their press 
release in January 2010.

With this information 
in mind we must realize that it is cause for serious concern when 
hearing reports from Israel and Palestine regarding the conditions of 
the prisons in which these Palestinians are subject to harsh internment. To name just one such facility built illegally in the West Bank, Ofer 
prison is one of the most notorious for human rights abuses with 
legalized torture, food deprivation and sleep deprivation being just 
some of the methods used against Prisoners.

Recently the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine called for a hunger 
strike in demand for better conditions in Israeli jails for Palestinian 
prisoners including Political prisoners. This provided a difficult 
challenge to the Israeli authorities who have thus far attempted to sway public opinion by using carefully placed propaganda claiming to give 
Palestinian prisoners better meals upping their chicken portions at meal times which is hardly a substantial improvement to general conditions 
inside the prisons.

To turn back to the topic 
of Palestinian Child prisoners usually arrested or kidnapped during or 
just after nonviolent demonstrations even occasionally during midnight 
IDF raids on Palestinian Villages we can see a pattern forming with a 
large amount of prisoners held in Israeli Jails – Many of them are 
participants, leaders, associates or relatives of people involved in 
nonviolent resistance in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

There have been several families in the An-Nabi Saleh village alone who 
participate in nonviolence that have had members of their family 
including children arrested and detained during night raids that have 
disappeared for days and even weeks. This displays a clearly defined 
policy by the IDF that is presently denied by the IDF spokes person of 
concentrated and planned collective punishment to deter people from 
participating in what is known as the most effective principled method 
of resisting the israeli occupation of the West Bank.

We see this intimidation occurring all over the occupied Palestinian 
territories and within the State of Israel itself with protestors and 
left-wing activists being targeted by laws, regulations and policies 
that the Knesset spits out in a desperate attempt to control Israeli 
citizens and continue the occupation at large subjecting Palestinians to Military rule rather than civil law.

We there 
for must not forget about those people, those human beings who deserve 
to be re-humanized currently rotting in Israeli Jails. While it is 
important to recognize that Israel does legitimately hold genuine 
terrorists (some of whom they have released recently in the Gilad Shalit Deal) we must never lose sight of the bigger political picture nor fall into the trap of forgetting about prisoners who as human beings have 
the same rights to life and liberty as all of us around the world.