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Support for Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike

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As Palestinian prisoners in Israel end their second day of a hunger strike, social activists have urged the international community to support the fight for political freedom, not just in Palestine, but around the world.
Approximately 1,500 Palestinian political prisoners launched a mass hunger strike yesterday to fight against the harsh conditions and violation of human rights that they face daily.

The action, led by Marwan Barghouti, a former Palestinian leader, aims to fulfil a series of demands, many of which were gained in previous hunger strikes, yet were abolished shortly after. On April 15, Barghouthi marked his 15th consecutive year in prison after being sentenced to five life terms in jail by Israel.

Barghouti has since been placed in solitary confinement for “instigating mutiny and leading the hunger strike, a severe violation of the rules of the prison,” according to Israeli Public Security Minister, Gilad Erdan.
Charlotte Kates, Coordinator of the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network (SPPSN), believe the response of the Israeli state is, and always has been, a catalyst to repress all Palestinians.

“The Palestinian prisoners movement is known as a central space for leadership of the entire struggle for freedom, so there is a constant attempt to break the will of the prisoners, and Palestinian resistance,” says Kates.

Palestinian political prisoners come from all aspects of Palestinian society. From those reigning from occupied Palestine ’48, who are targeted by racist Zionist practices, such as the policy of home demolitions and land confiscation, to those from Yaza, the West Bank & Jerusalem, who are arrested for violating one of the thousand-plus military orders that are created on a whim. This includes basic expressions of political freedom, from “holding demonstrations, to student activism on university campuses, and being a member of a political party.”

The broad spectrum of prisoners detained in Israel, is reminder of howevery aspect of life in Palenstine, is faced with repression, control and colonialism.

“Every single day (these prisoners) are fighting. Even if it’s as simple as fighting for the right to have (their) father, mother, daughter, or son visit,” says Kates.

Increased family visits, which are limited to once a month, is just one of the conditions prisoners are fighting for. Other demands include appropriate medical care for ill prisoners and the abolishment of solitary confinement and administrative detention.

Administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial, accounts for 10% of total Palestinian prisoners being held by the Israeli state, while solitary confinement is used on prisoners as young as 13 years old.

Israeli authorities however say they have no reason to negotiate.

“They are terrorists and incarcerated murderers who are getting what they deserve,” said Erdan.

Despite Israel’s blatant disregard for human rights and international law, Kates believes that every day citizens are critical in the fight for freedom.

The Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network (SPPSN) is a grassroots activist network that works internationally to organise in communities, cities and campuses around the world to build solidarity with political Palestinian prisoners.

The network also works with international organisations in the US, Irleand and France that aim to end the imprisonment of political prisoners, and in doing so, “internationalises” the issue, so that their impact can be felt beyond Palestine. Kates believes that emphasising international unity against “colonialism and imperialism”, similar to how apartheid was sanctioned in South Africa in the early 90s, is integral to achieving political freedom.

“Supporting the struggle is so critical. It’s not just about these individuals inside Israeli jails. It’s about all of the rights that they are fighting for. The most important thing that people can do around the world, is to build the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against funding and supporting the Israel occupation, that’s imprisoning the men, women, children and elders of Palestine,” says Kates.

South African support

In 2013, anti-apartheid struggle veteran Ahmed Kathrada and Barghouthi’s wife, Fadwa, launched a global campaign on Robben Island calling for the release of Barghouthi and all Palestinian political prisoners. Over the last five decades about 800 000 Palestinians have been jailed by Israel; some 6500 are currently behind bars.

Neeshan Balton, the executive director of the Kathrada Foundation, said, “A hunger strike is not only the most peaceful form of resistance, but is also the last resort by a prisoner to demand basic human rights. The Palestinian prisoners are calling for an end to solitary confinement and administrative detention; fortnightly family visits without cancellation or interference; appropriate medical care including an end to medical neglect of prisoners; releasing prisoners with disabilities or terminal illness; as well as specific requests around access to education and humane transportation of prisoners.

“The mass support for the hunger strike amongst prisoners is a show of unity and is symbolic of the courage that has become synonymous with simply being Palestinian. Barghouthi himself, in an opinion piece about the hunger strike, wrote: ‘Our chains will be broken before we are, because it is human nature to heed the call for freedom regardless of the cost.’”

Balton said that the struggle of Palestinian political prisoners, was one that South Africans could understand in context of our own apartheid past.

“Kathrada would often talk about the sadistic behaviour of some of the apartheid warders who raided their cells in May 1971, while they were on hunger strike in solidarity with SWAPO prisoners. One of Kathrada’s more painful memories of the Island was how the guards strip searched them on May 28. Due to the cold and hunger, Govan Mbeki, who was elderly, collapsed. History has taught us though, that eventually, freedom and dignity triumphed. It is this very freedom and dignity that we believe will be victorious in Palestine as well.”

Balton said that Kathrada would often marvel at the resilience of the Palestinian people.

“During a visit to Palestine in 2013, Kathrada was shocked to find that there were prisoners who had served longer sentences than Nelson Mandela. Their cause resonated very strongly with him as a former political prisoner.” VOC

 

 


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