Vermonters
for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel
Prisoners Archive - November 2007
Treatment of Prisoners and Detainees by Israel and Others
Prisoners Archive - November 2007
Treatment of Prisoners and Detainees by Israel and Others
| Home | Vermonters
for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel Prisoners Archive - November 2007 Treatment of Prisoners and Detainees by Israel and Others |
|
|
|
Young Israeli jailed for ties with Hizbullah Ahiya Raved, YNetNews 11/28/2007 Umm al-Fahm resident who had ties with Hizbullah agent she met in Jordan sentenced to three-year jail term - - A 24-year-old woman from Umm al-Fahm was sentenced to three years in prison Wednesday after she was convicted of maintaining ties with a Hizbullah agent. The accused, Manar Jabarin, had been in contact with the agent, whom she met while studying in Jordan, for several years. The two met five years ago, when Jabarin was a dental student in Amman. The agent, a young woman by the name of Gada Abdul Quds Mustafa Shawish, repeatedly tried to recruit Jabarin to the organization, but at first the Israeli-Arab refused. However, in 2003 Jabarin finally consented to aid Gada and agreed to transfer a disk-on-key device to Israel. The two remained in touch afterwards, via phone and the internet, and Jabarin also traveled to Jordan again to meet Gada. Israeli Arab woman gets three years in jail for Hezbollah ties Fadi Eyadat, Haaretz Correspondent, Ha’aretz 11/28/2007 An Israeli Arab woman convicted of having ties to Hezbollah was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison and a two-year suspended term. 24-year-old Manar Jabarin, a resident of Umm al-Fahm, came in contact with a Hezbollah agent while studying dentistry in Jordan. Jabarin, currently in her fourth year of studying law, was convicted of having contact with a foreign agent and providing services to an unauthorized organization. According to the indictment filed in Haifa District Court, Jabarin met a young woman named Jada Abdul-Quds Mustafa while studying at Amman University in the Jordanian capital. Mustafa, who was a Hezbollah recruitment agent, tried to convince Jabarin and another Israeli to assist in carrying out suicide bombings in Israel. In August 2003, Mustafa proposed that the defendant join Hezbollah, but Jabarin refused. At Popular Resistance Committees announce military campaign in opposition to Annapolis Ma’an News Agency 11/27/2007 Gaza Ma’an The military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, the An-Nasser Salah Addin Brigades announced on Tuesday the beginning of a campaign they are calling "Autumn Storms" in response to the Annapolis peace conference. The An-Nasser Brigades said that Palestinians have the right to resist occupation in self defense and reaffirmed their commitment to "inalienable Palestinian principles" on the status of Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees, prisoners, and borders. The An-Nasser Brigades also claimed responsibility on Tuesday morning for launching three mortar shells at the Israeli military post at Nahal Oz , east of Gaza City, and for launching two homemade projectiles at another military post called Malaka as well as three projectiles at Israeli town of Sderot, north of the Gaza Strip. Ex-Israeli U.S. professor confesses to killing wife The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 11/27/2007 They stayed together for their child’s sake, but the arrangement between the Israeli expat Ivy League economics professor and his wife was unraveling. A violent argument over the 12-year-old girl led the renowned academic to kill his wife just days before Christmas, a few weeks before she planned to move out of the house and end their 16-year marriage. Rafael Robb, 57, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter Monday, explaining that he picked up a chin-up bar during the fight and beat his wife as she wrapped presents on Dec. 22. "I just lost it," Robb said. Robb, a tenured economics professor at the University of Pennsylvania, faces a likely prison sentence of 4 to seven years for bludgeoning his wife Ellen. The university has asked for his immediate resignation. Robb testified Monday that he argued with his wife that day about a trip she and their daughter were taking over the holiday break. He Hamas operative sues Shin Bet for abuse Aviram Zino, YNetNews 11/22/2007 Young Palestinian said to be involved in suicide bombing attempt says prolonged confinement in handcuffs left his arms paralyzed - - The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel issued an urgent letter to Attorney General Menachem Mazuz on Thursday, demanding he take action against the physical torture they say was inflicted upon him by Shin Bet interrogators. The detainee, Amaad Hutari, a 23-year-old resident of Qalqiliya, was arrested last month and brought to the Kishon detention facility for questioning. In its letter the committee asserts that Hutari testified he was being abused during a court hearing contesting his arrest. Hutari’s arrest was extended by the military court but the judge ordered his interrogation be halted until the facility’s medical ward gave Hutari a thorough examination. Hutari claimed that his hands had been restrained for a prolonged period of time and became paralyzed as a result. Draft dodger sentenced to 58 days of military work Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews 11/22/2007 Police stop Ramat Gan resident for driver license check, discover he evaded IDF service for 12 years. Lawyers manage to reach plea bargain with prosecution, man to perform military work at army base for two months - - A Ramat Gan resident who evaded military service for 12 years was sentenced Thursday by the Military Court in Jaffa to three hours of military work at the Tel Hashomer base for two months. About two weeks ago, the police stopped the 36-year-old man for a driver license check and discovered that he did not perform military service and was defined a draft dodger. The information appeared on the police records due to a new cooperation system between the IDF and the police. The man was arrested, handed over to the Military Police and sent to a military prison. Shortly afterwards, he was indicted for evading military service for 4,034 days. Th Brigades shell Israeli targets Ma’an News Agency 11/22/2007 Gaza Ma’an The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine claimed responsibility on Wednesday evening for launching mortar shells at the Israeli military post of Nahal Oz near the Gaza Strip. They released a statement affirming that they will continue to retaliate for Israeli atrocities against the Palestinian people and resistance fighters. The military wing affiliated to the Popular Resistance Committees, An-Nasser Salah Addin Brigades also claimed responsibility on Wednesday evening for launching three mortar shells at Nahal Oz. They said in a statement that the shelling was in response to the Israeli policy of targeted killings of Palestinian resistance fighters. They said in a statement that their activity was in response to Israeli atrocities committed against the Palestinian people, namely the prisoners in Israeli jails. Soldier accused of stealing explosives during war Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews 11/21/2007 Elite unit fighter charged with aiding enemy after ’borrowing’ ammunition from IDF, detonating smoke grenade at birthday party - - Intelligence obtained by Military Police led them to investigate an IDF combat soldier, a resident of southern Israel , who is suspected of stealing arms which he "borrowed" from the IDF and from the battlefield during the Second Lebanon War. Ynet has learned that the soldier, who has been decorated and received a number of certificates of recognition, is suspected of stashing the arms at his home, and has been accused with the very serious offense of abetting the enemy. The ’Abetting the enemy’ clause in military law is especially severe, which dictates that a "soldier who knowingly carried out the offense of abetting the enemy or endangering a military operation against the enemy"¦ will be sentenced to ten years in prison." 431 Palestinian prisoners to be released from Israeli jails on Sunday Ma’an News Agency 11/21/2007 Bethlehem Ma’an Israel announced on Wednesday that 431 Palestinian prisoners are to be released from Israeli jails on Sunday. The prisoner’s administration said that before their release they will undergo a thorough security check and will have to sign pledges not to engage in terrorism. According to the prison’s service, most of the prisoners will pass through Betounia checkpoint, west of Ramallah in the West Bank. Another 16 prisoners from the Gaza Strip will be released at the Erez crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip. Israel decided to release the prisoners as a sign of good will prior to the Annapolis conference, due to begin on November 27. [end] Bethlehem resident denies torture by Palestinian security Ma’an News Agency 11/21/2007 Bethlehem Ma’an A Palestinian on Wednesday denied news reports published in some Palestinian media outlets, claiming he was tortured by the Palestinian security services. Thirty-one-year-old Khadir Abu Nassar, from Bethlehem in the southern West Bank, told Ma’an that all the news reports claiming that he was beaten and then taken to hospital were false. He appealed to the Palestinian media to be accurate and double-check the validity of reports before publishing them. A number of Palestinian media outlets had claimed that Abu Nassar was tortured by Palestinian security in Bethlehem during detention and that he was treated in Beit Jala governmental hospital for injuries he sustained. PM promises to freeze settlements, remove outposts Roni Sofer, YNetNews 11/19/2007 Road Map includes explicit commitments and we will have to implement them, Olmert explains during weekly cabinet meeting. Government approves release of 441 prisoners as goodwill gesture to Palestinian president; Shas, Yisrael Beitienu ministers oppose move - - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised Monday to freeze the construction of settlements and remove all the illegal West Bank outposts as part of the process following the Annapolis peace conference. "The Road Map includes explicit commitments by Israel not to build new settlements and new communities in the Judea and Samaria, and not to expropriate lands in the Judea and Samaria area. We will have to implement these commitments," Olmert said during the weekly cabinet meeting. During the meeting, the government approved the release of 441 Palestinian prisoners according to a proposal presented by Olmert as a goodwill gesture aimed at bolstering the Palestinian prisoners. Three Husband signs divorce papers 20 years after disappearing Raanan Ben-Zur, YNetNews 11/19/2007 Man located by Prison Service rabbi in Israeli jail after leaving ’chained’ woman in France - - Twenty years after disappearing and leaving his wife "agunah" (bound in marriage by a husband who is missing), a French Jewish man has been located in an Israeli jail and has agreed to give his wife a divorce. The affair began about 20 years ago, when the man left his wife and children and disappeared. The family attempted to locate the husband for years, but to no avail. The man, apparently due to financial difficulties, disappeared without a trace. All these years, the husband resided in Israel and in Europe. In Israel he even served six jail sentences, and is now serving his seventh after being convicted of property and violence offenses. The prisoner, 45, who is serving his sentence in a prison in the Sharon region, leads a secular life. Olmert vows to halt settlement construction Middle East Online 10/11/2007 Israel said on Monday it would freeze construction of new settlements in the occupied West Bank and planned to free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners ahead of a key US peace meeting. The moves were unveiled shortly before Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas met in a last-ditch bid to resolve differences on a joint document being drawn up for the peace conference. Ahead of the encounter, the Israeli cabinet approved the release of nearly 450 Palestinian prisoners as a goodwill gesture to Abbas, a senior official said. Palestinians had requested that Israel free some 2,000 of the 11,000 Palestinian detainees that it is holding. Olmert also vowed Israel would abide by commitments on settlement activity that it undertook -- but has not honoured -- under the so-called Middle East roadmap peace plan, largely dormant since its 2003 launch. Israel to free 441 Palestinian prisoners Ma’an News Agency 11/19/2007 Bethlehem Ma’an The Israeli government approved the release of 441 Palestinian Prisoners on Monday in advance of an international peace conference in the United States next week, Israeli media reported. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had requested that 2,000 Palestinian prisoners released, out of the 11,000 that are currently held by Israel. Abbas and Israeli Prime minister Olmert met in Jerusalem on Monday in an effort to iron out differences in advance of the conference in the US city of Annapolis. Israeli stipulations require that none of the 441 prisoners to be freed will have "blood on their hands," or be members of Hamas. [end] Israeli government approves release of 441 Palestinian political prisoners Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 11/19/2007 The Israeli cabinet has agreed to the release of 441 Palestinian political prisoners, Israeli media sources reported Monday. It is hoped that the move, a so-called ’goodwill gesture’, will boost the standing of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ahead of the upcoming Annapolis summit, scheduled for the last week of November. Israeli officials indicated that none of those scheduled for release have been involved in attacks on Israeli civilians or military personnel, neither are they members of the Hamas or Islamic Jihad movements. The 441 detainees to be release are but a small fraction of the at least 12,000 Palestinian political detainees being held without charge in Israeli detention centers. Since the beginning of the year alone, Israeli authorities have abducted at least 2360 people, according to statistics published by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights. Israel to release 450 prisoners BBC Online 11/19/2007 The government of Israel has approved the release of 450 Palestinian detainees in a move announced just before talks with Palestinian leaders. A senior Israeli official said it was a goodwill gesture ahead of a Middle East peace conference in the US next week. Israeli premier Ehud Olmert reiterateda pledge to freeze new settlements in the occupied West Bank and dismantle unauthorised "wildcat" settlements. His office added he would meet Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak on Tuesday. There will be no new settlements and no land confiscations Israeli PM Ehud Olmert Mr Olmert’s talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas are the latest in a series leading up to the expected conference in Annapolis, Maryland. Speaking to reporters in Ramallah, Mr Abbas said that "we want to reach satisfactory progress so that we can go to Annapolis with a solid base". Israel worried US may demand increase in Palestinian prisoner release from 400 to 2000 Ma’an News Agency 11/16/2007 Bethlehem Ma’an Israeli political sources on Friday expressed worries that the US administration might adopt the Palestinian demand of releasing 2000 prisoners from Israeli jails as a good will gesture towards Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the Israeli daily newspaper Maariv reported. The newspaper quoted Israeli politicians as saying that they do not have a clear view of the issue. However Washington sources indicated that the US administration is inclined to adopt the Palestinian demand and ask Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to amend his decision to release 400 Palestinian prisoners and release 2000. Maariv pointed out that the Israeli criteria of Palestinian prisoners ’with blood on their hands’ must be changed if the Israelis accept the US demands. Israeli radio said that the general director of the Israeli ministry of jurisprudence has completed the list of Palestinian prisoners to be freed as a good will gesture towards the Palestinian authority. Hamas calls on Abbas not to abandon Palestinian rights during the Annapolis conference Ma’an News Agency 11/15/2007 Gaza Ma’an Hamas called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday not to recognise Israel as a Jewish state and not to abandon Palestinian rights during the Annapolis conference. Hamas organised a rally in Gaza City on Thursday to condemn the continued Israeli settlers’ attempts to break into the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. "President Abbas is not authorized to give up the Palestinian unalienable rights, none is authorized to do so, " Hamas leader Isma’il Radwan said during the rally. He stated the necessity of adhering to the right of return for Palestinian refugees, adding that resistance was a strategic choice. He also said Palestinian prisoners must be freed from Israeli jails. The Hamas’ official also warned that any harm to the Al-Aqsa mosque would provoke a response that would stun the whole world. PLC speaker’s health deteriorating rapidly in Israeli jail Ma’an News Agency 11/15/2007 Nablus Ma’an The Palestinian Legislative Council’s speaker Dr Aziz Dweik, currently detained in the Israeli Ramla prison has suffered a serious deterioration in his health, the attorney of the Nafha association for prisoners rights revealed on Thursday. The attorney visited Dr Dweik on Wednesday in Ramla’s prison hospital, where he was told by doctors that Dr Dweik has lost 10 kilogrammes in weight since last month and is suffering from anemia due to the diabetes he developed whilst in jail. Ramla’s prison doctors have attributed the spread of anemia amongst prisoners to their poor prison diet. Dr Dweik has been in Israeli detention since August 6 2006. [end] Huwwara detainees to launch hunger-strike IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 11/16/2007 Palestinian detainees in the Huwwara detention center, located near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, on Thursday threatened to launch a hunger-stike in protest against a sharp deterioration in their living conditions and ongoing violations of their rights. Several of the detainees stated that they didn’t have winter clothes, and were living in very cold cells. The Society voiced an appeal to the Red Cross to visit the detainees and act on their behalf to have winter clothes sent to all Palestinian prisoners currently being held in Israeli camps. [end] Palestinian prime minister hosts Javier Solana Ma’an News Agency 11/13/2007 Ramallah Ma’an The European Union’s high representative for the common foreign and security policy, Javier Solana, was in the central West Bank city of Ramallah on Tuesday for a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. Fayyad informed him of "the regrettable events" that occurred in the Gaza Strip on Monday and the repression practiced by "Hamas militias" against the citizens of the coastal region. He also reiterated the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to the Road Map plan demanding that Israel implement its part of the plan, including halting settlement construction, releasing Palestinian prisoners and reopening Palestinian institutions which have been closed in east Jerusalem. The Palestinian prime minister also reviewed the security achievements his government has accomplished in Nablus. He also updated Solana on the Palestinian plans to be submitted to the donor countries meeting in Paris in December. Palestinian prisoner left temporarily paralyzed after interrogation Ameen Abu Wardeh - 1 of International Middle East Media Center, International Middle East Media Center 11/13/2007 The Nafha Society for prisoners’ rights on Tuesday reported that a Palestinian prisoner had been left temporarily paralyzed after being repeatedly interrogated over a two-week period. The prisoner reprted that a doctor had told him that he was suffering from temporary paralysis and the feeling should return to his hands in one-to-two months. The Nafha Society accused Israeli prison doctors of collaborating with Israeli interrogators, suggesting that doctors fail to administer proper treatment or inform prisoners of the true extent of their injuries. Translated by Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News. [end] Detainees in Huwwara facing abuse IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 11/12/2007 One of the lawyers of the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) reported on Sunday that Palestinian detainees in Huwwara Israeli prison are facing abuse and ongoing insults by the Israeli soldiers manning the prison. The lawyer stated that the detainees are forced to undergo naked body searches, confined to solitary, and barred from meals. He added that he met with two detainees who informed him of abuse they were subjected to on Monday November 5, after they asked one of the soldiers to give them a lighter as they were in the visiting room. The two detainees are Basim Barham and Mustafa Abed-Rabbo. They stated that they were forced to fully undress and were forced to sit on the ground for six hours in exposed yards. They added that soldiers placed their feet on them while other soldiers took pictures of them in that position using a mobile phone camera. East Jerusalem resident charged with fabricating info on MIA soldier Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 11/9/2007 Shin Bet and Police arrest East Jerusalemite suspected of selling Hizbullah false information on missing Israeli soldier Guy Hever - - East Jerusalem resident Shadi Muhamad, 26, was arrested this week for attempting to sell fabricated information regarding the whereabouts of missing Israeli solider Guy Hever to Hizbullah, according to an indictment against him released for publication Friday. Muhamad was trying to secure the release of his imprisoned brother, Samr, 28, who is serving a prison term ending in 2023 for carrying out terrorist attacks and arms trading. Shadi Muhamad in court (Photo: Gil Yochanan) During the investigation, Shadi admitted that another one of his brothers, Medahat, 34, who is also serving a prison sentence for assisting a terrorist cell, wrote to him with details on how to contact a Hizbullah representative in order to offer him information on the missing soldier. Israeli forces detain Islamic Jihad activist Ma’an News Agency 11/8/2007 Tulkarem Ma’an Israeli forces seized an Islamic Jihad activist in the West Bank city of Tulkarem on Thursday. The family said the soldiers stormed their house and fired sound grenades before handcuffing twenty-year-old Mus’ab Abu Al-Teen and taking him to an unknown Israeli detention facility. Abu Al-Teen was released from prison a year and a half ago after serving an eight month detention on charges of belonging to Islamic Jihad. [end] Palestinian Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs cancels visit to Marwan Barghouthi Ma’an News Agency 11/7/2007 Bethlehem Ma’an The Palestinian minister of prisoners’ affairs revealed to Ma’an on Wednesday that he was scheduled to pay a visit to representatives of Palestinian factions in Israeli jails and on the top of the list was Marwan Barghouthi and the secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Ahmad Sa’adat. Ashraf Al-Ajrami said the visit was cancelled because the Israeli authorities refused to issue permits for some members of a delegation which was supposed to accompany the minister. The minister added that he intended to discuss with the prisoners different issues related to the circumstances of their detention as well as relations between prisoners with different affiliations. Al-Ajrami highlighted that it was not the first time the Israeli prison services impede his visit to Palestinians jailed in Israel. He accused the Israelis of deliberately hindering such visits which he said could have eased the tension which have recently increased in Israeli jails. Prisoners association stage protetst at Israeli deportation of brothers Ma’an News Agency 11/7/2007 Jenin Ma’an The Palestinian prisoners association in Tubas in the northern West Bank on Tuesday stopped the traffic throughout the Tubas district in a one minute protest against the Israeli decision to deport two brothers from Tamun to Jordan. In a statement the prisoners’ association named the deportees as Talib Bani Auda, who is detained in Ramle prison, and his brother Umar who is in Gilbou prison. The prisoners association appealed to all humanitarian institutions and international organizations to exert pressure on the Israeli authorities to reverse their decision. [end] Prisoners’ Center: Israel intends to aggravate situation inside prisons Ali Samoudi - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 11/8/2007 Ra’fat Hamdouna, Director of the Prisoners Centers for Studies, on Thursday condemned the decision of the Israeli Minister of the Interior to bar Palestinian prisoners from receiving official guests, arguing the move revealed the negative attitude of Israeli prison authorities. Hamdouna stated that the move was proof that Israeli is committed to aggravating the situation inside prisons, and further increasing the foul treatment meted out to Palestinian political prisoners. The center also condemned a perceived policy of medical negligence, arguing that many Palestinian prisoners continued to suffer from various serious ailments without treatment, calling for the immediate establishment of a medical committee that would visit prison in the hope if ensuring that detainees receive necessary medical attention. Israeli forces detain Palestinians at flying checkpoints; kidnap two during Hebron invasion Nisreen Qumsieh, International Middle East Media Center 11/7/2007 Israeli military forces detained scores of civilians at two flying checkpoints that were positioned in two areas in the southern West Bank city of Hebron on Wednesday morning. Security sources reported that soldiers obstructed the movement of Palestinian private and public cars and detained scores of civilians to check their identity cards. No abductions were reported. In a separate operation, the Israeli military invaded the city of Hebron and the nearby town of Beit Omar, kidnapping two Palestinians. The Prisoner Society office in Hebron reported that military forces kidnapped Ahmad Al Ju’ba,22; and Bassam Allama,19. Both were taken to an undisclosed destination. [end] Argentina to extradite taxi driver’s murderer to Israel Aviram Zino, YNetNews 11/6/2007 Moshe Ben-Ivgi fled to Argentina after being sentenced to 21 years in jail for his involvement in Derek Roth’s murder, two robberies; extradition granted on robberies alone, State to appeal to Argentina’s Supreme Court - - An Argentinean Federal Court ruled on Tuesday that the country would extradite convicted murderer Moshe Ben-Ivgi to Israel. Ben-Ivgi murdered taxi driver Derek Roth in Herzliya in 1994. Moshe Ben-Ivgi, then 15, was sentenced to 21 years in prison β 16 year for his part in Roth’s murder and five additional years for two robberies he committed while on leave from prison. During a leave after his sentencing, Ben-Ivgi fled to Argentina β a country which Israel has no extradition agreement with β but was later captured by the Argentinean police. Israel has been petitioning for Ben-Ivgi extradition on both murder and a grand larceny Leftists, rightists protest outside Rimonin Prison Raanan Ben-Zur, YNetNews 11/4/2007 Family members of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassin, his wife and newborn son arrive at prison for circumcision ceremony. Left-wing activist detained after throwing eggs at right-wing activists - - The family members of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassin, Yigal Amir, arrived along with his wife Larissa Trimbobler and the couple’s son at the Rimonim Prison in the Sharon region on Sunday afternoon for the baby’s circumcision ceremony. A commotion erupted in the area as photographers tried to approach the family’s vehicle. Amir brother’s Amitai waved at right-wing activists standing outside the prison and flashed the V sign at them. Dozens of right and left-wing activists demonstrated outside the prison. The leftists arrives at the area in order to protest the brit ceremony, while the rightists where there to support it. A left-wing activist was detained for questioning after throwing eggs at the right-wing activists. Rabin assassin’s son circumcised in prison amid furious protest Sean Gaffney, Associated Press, The Guardian 11/5/2007 The newborn son of the assassin of Yitzhak Rabin was circumcised yesterday on the 12th anniversary of the prime minister’s murder, inside a heavily guarded prison. Rival protesters screamed insults at each other outside Rimonim Prison as the ceremony took place. The ceremony capped a saga that has caused turmoil in Israel since the baby was born last week. Rabin’s family, and much of the public, opposed a court decision allowing assassin Yigal Amir to attend the circumcision of his son, while a vocal group of Israeli ultra-nationalists voiced solidarity with Amir. "He killed a prime minister - he is not like any other murderer," said Matan Josefor-Berg, 25. "He tried to destroy our democracy by assassinating Rabin." When Amir’s wife and baby arrived in a grey van protesters started shouting. The baby’s face was concealed behind a white blanket as a crowd of photographers swarmed around, pushing at each other to get a picture of the child. Rabin’s assassin attends son’s circumcision on macabre date Agence France Presse - AFP, Daily Star 11/5/2007 RIMONIM PRISON, Israel: Yigal Amir, Israel’s most notorious political assassin, attended his baby son’s circumcision in shackles at a high-security prison on Sunday - 12 years to the day after he shot then-Prime Minister Yithak Rabin in the back because of the latter’s peacemaking moved with the Palestinians. A rabbi presided over the religious ceremony at Rimonim Prison near the coastal city of Netanya, where Amir, wearing his convict’s uniform, attended the rite, a spokesman for theprison service said. Close family members were also present for a ceremony that has sparked outrage in Israel - but also a concurrent campaign from extreme right-wingers to grant Amir parole. Outside the jail about 50 left-wing activists demonstrated against the ceremony taking place in Amir’s presence under court authorization, while about 20 far-right protesters endeavored to shout down their "left-wing hypocrisy. Palestinian deserters jailed Al Jazeera 11/4/2007 Six junior officers of the Palestinian presidential guard have been convicted in a military court for abandoning their posts during Hamas’s takeover of the Gaza Strip in June. The court in Jericho in the West Bank sentenced the six to up to three years in prison on Sunday for disobeying military orders and fleeing Gaza. Abdel Karim Hamad, the defence lawyer, said there was no evidence of wrongdoing by his clients and that "it is clear this court is looking for scapegoats". It is the first trial concerning the fighting last June, when Hamas ousted Fatah from the Gaza Strip. Related link Watch Al Jazeera’s report on West Bank troop surge Two colonels of the presidential guard received three-year sentences, and three lower-ranking officers were each sentenced to 18 months. A sixth man received a five-month sentence and two defendants were acquitted.  Articles
Deja Vu, Again The Guardian - Editorial, MIFTAH 11/27/2007 Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Saud al-Faisal, said yesterday that he would attend next week’s Middle East peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland. Syria might also attend, although it is not clear at what level. The two last building blocks appear to be in place for an event which will relaunch Israeli-Palestinian peace talks for the first time in seven years. The real question is: will any of the noble declarations that we will get next week - from Mahmoud Abbas, Ehud Olmert and George Bush - mean anything? Bill Clinton peered at the political horizon in the Middle East in a speech in 2000. Mr Bush restated the long view four years later. Why will a third such tour d’horizon make any difference? Of all the weak leaders present, none will be more so than the Palestinian president. He does not have to be dragged to the table, as Arafat was to Camp David in 2000. But he goes to Annapolis as the leader of only half his people. To the other half, who are locked up in a prison called Gaza, Mr Abbas has to show that engagement with Israel brings concrete benefits. Hamas argues that only force works with Israel. Mr Abbas has to show that politics can bring down roadblocks. Gaza: the Final Solution in Slow Motion Palestine Chronicle 11/22/2007 On Sunday, 11th November 2007, at about four o’clock in the morning, the pharmacist Salim Madani is in Sufa, the only border post to the Gaza Strip that the government of Israel opens every now and then. He, and a few others have been waiting for 14 day for a truck loaded with medicines for distribution in the Strip, still stuck on the Israeli side. They have been waiting for permission from the Israeli government so that they may move the load onto another truck so the medicines can move into Khan Yunis on the Palestinian side. For many months ill Palestinians have been dying needlessly because many other trucks have not been authorized to transport medicines or even any other basic products - to the prison into which Gaza has been transformed. The children Mohammad Turk, Mohammad Helow and Shaban Lulu, are only three of the hundreds of Palestinians that have died in the last so many months as a result of the Israeli and international blockade. Gaza: The Final Solution in Slow Motion Agustin Velloso, MIFTAH 11/22/2007 On Sunday, 11th November 2007, at about four o’clock in the morning, the pharmacist Salim Madani is in Sufa, the only border post to the Gaza Strip that the government of Israel opens every now and then. He, and a few others have been waiting for 14 day for a truck loaded with medicines for distribution in the Strip, still stuck on the Israeli side. They have been waiting for permission from the Israeli government so that they may move the load onto another truck so the medicines can move into Khan Yunis on the Palestinian side. For many months ill Palestinians have been dying needlessly because many other trucks have not been authorized to transport medicines or even any other basic products - to the prison into which Gaza has been transformed. The children Mohammad Turk, Mohammad Helow and Shaban Lulu, are only three of the hundreds of Palestinians that have died in the last so many months as a result of the Israeli and international blockade. An Endless Pool of Prisoners Haaretz - Editorial, MIFTAH 11/22/2007 Why is Israel releasing 440 Palestinian prisoners specifically ahead of the Annapolis conference, and not 500 or 300, or 2,000 as the United States had expected? The impression is that no one is exercised by the security risk entailed in releasing prisoners - aside from politicians who want to make political capital off of it - and that all the wheeling and dealing revolves around the question of how many prisoners "are worth wasting" on this or that event. This regular game with the fate of people - some 10,000 of them - who are incarcerated in Israel, taking no account of the length of their prison sentences but only the political utility their fate can serve, warps Israel’s image as a law-abiding state. If at any given moment there is a pool of candidates for release, it stands to reason they could have been released long ago. The impression created is that Israel’s prisons have become a gestures bank with revolving doors: At night they arrest dozens of wanted gunmen, and in the morning decide to release several hundred, just so long as the supply of prisoners doesn’t dry up and a few dozen candidates for immediate release are always available. Israel Takes Steps to Attract Arab States to Peace Talks Scott Wilson, MIFTAH 11/21/2007 Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, hoping to draw more Arab countries to a U.S.-sponsored peace conference this month, persuaded his cabinet Monday to endorse the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and restated a pledge to stop building new Jewish settlements in the occupied territories. But Palestinian officials said Olmert had not gone far enough in signaling his willingness to make concessions before the meeting, tentatively scheduled for Nov. 27 in Annapolis. Earlier in the day, Olmert cautioned against creating "exaggerated expectations," although he said the meeting is an important step in restarting formal negotiations with the Palestinians after nearly seven years of dormancy. Such influential Arab countries as Saudi Arabia, which does not officially recognize Israel, are deciding now whether to attend the meeting. The release of Palestinian prisoners, roughly 10,000 of whom are in Israeli jails, and a freeze on all settlement activity have been two items the Saudis and other Arab countries have demanded in return for their participation. After 20 years, freedom is sweet Michel Shehadeh, The Electronic Intifada, 19 November 2007, Electronic Intifada 11/19/2007 For the last 20 years, the US government has accused me of being a terrorist. Along with six other Palestinians and a Kenyan, we were dubbed the "Los Angeles Eight" by the media. Our case even made it to the US Supreme Court. On 30 October -- 20 grueling years after the early morning raid in which armed federal agents barged into my apartment, brutally arrested me before my three-year-old son’s eyes, incarcerated me in maximum security cells in San Pedro State Prison for 23 days without bond, and attempted to deport me -- the government dropped all charges fabricated against me. The charges involved accusations of aiding a member group of the Palestine Liberation Organization that the government alleged aided terrorism. But Los Angeles immigration Judge Bruce J. Einhorn had ordered an end to the deportation proceedings against us last January because the government failed to comply with his order to disclose evidence that supported our innocence. He called their behavior "an embarrassment to the rule of law." Torturing Palestinian Detainees Stephen Lendman, ZNet 11/15/2007 B’Tselem is the conservative Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories with a well-deserved reputation for accuracy. A group of prominent academics, attorneys, journalists and Knesset members founded the organization in 1989 to "document and educate the Israeli public and policymakers about human rights violations in the Occupied Territories, combat the phenomenon of denial prevalent among the Israeli public, and help create a human rights culture in Israel" to convince government officials to respect human rights and comply with international law. Its work covers a wide range of human rights issues that include detentions and torture. In May, 2007, it prepared a detailed 100 page report titled "Absolute Prohibition: The Torture and Ill-treatment of Palestinian Detainees" that’s now available in print for those who request it. This article summarizes its findings that represent a joint effort by B’Tselem and HaMoked: Center for the Defense of the Individual that was founded in 1988 to support Palestinian rights during the first intifada in the late 1980s. George McLeod: Finkelstein: Taking on the Lobby Palestine Chronicle 11/17/2007 ’I have no regrets," says Norman Finkelstein, after losing one of the most divisive and publicised campus battles in US history. Despite student demonstrations and sit-ins, protests from some of the world’s most prominent academics and an outcry from free speech groups, Finkelstein was dismissed from DePaul University, the US’ largest Catholic university. The firing generated headlines around the world with many claiming it was an effort to gag his criticisms of the Israel lobby and Israel’s human rights record in Palestine. One of the most well-known and outspoken commentators on Israeli policy, Finkelstein is the author of five noted books on the Israel-Palestine issue and is a popular speaker on the subject. Finkelstein accuses the lobby of using the Holocaust to stifle debate on Israel and to embezzle funds earmarked for Holocaust victims. Much of Finkelstein’s research on Israel relies on mainstream human rights organisations, which he says universally condemn Israel for torture, illegal imprisonment and intentionally killing civilians. Stephen Lendman: Torturing Palestinian Detainees Palestine Chronicle 11/17/2007 B’Tselem is the conservative Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories with a well-deserved reputation for accuracy. A group of prominent academics, attorneys, journalists and Knesset members founded the organization in 1989 to "document and educate the Israeli public and policymakers about human rights violations in the Occupied Territories, combat the phenomenon of denial prevalent among the Israeli public, and help create a human rights culture in Israel" to convince government officials to respect human rights and comply with international law. Its work covers a wide range of human rights issues that include detentions and torture. In May, 2007, it prepared a detailed 100 page report titled "Absolute Prohibition: The Torture and Ill-treatment of Palestinian Detainees" that’s now available in print for those who request it. This article summarizes its findings that represent a joint effort by B’Tselem and HaMoked: Center for the Defense of the Individual that was founded in 1988 to support Palestinian rights during the first intifada in the late 1980s. Remembering Yitzhak Rabin The Economist, MIFTAH 11/13/2007 The inner price Israel pays for its continuing occupation of the West Bank YOU were the pillar of fire before the camp and now we are left only as the camp, alone and in the dark. So said his weeping grand-daughter, eulogising Yitzhak Rabin after he was shot in the back by a Jewish religious zealot 12 years ago. The murder of a strong and popular prime minister appeared briefly to unite the Jewish state. But the Israel of that time was in fact a camp divided. This year’s anniversary has brought grim new evidence of how bitter the divisions have grown. Millions of Israelis continue to mourn the war hero who shook the hand of Yasser Arafat and had seemed poised like a Moses to save the Jewish state by leading it out of the West Bank and Gaza, the lands he had himself conquered as army chief in 1967. But to a large minority of Israelis, Yigal Amir, his unrepentant murderer, has also become a hero. Though he remains in prison, Mr Amir has been allowed to marry and produce a son. A quarter of Israelis say they would not object to his sentence being commuted. At a recent football match, fans of one Jerusalem team horrified respectable Israel by greeting a call to remember the anniversary with chants in praise not of the fallen leader but of the fanatic who killed him. A Glimpse at a Life in Line Robert Cotton Fite, MIFTAH 11/13/2007 Waiting in line at a West Bank border checkpoint, intimidated by the prisonlike atmosphere and frustrated by the Israeli soldier denying me passage back into Israel, I got my first real taste of what it’s like most days for thousands of Palestinians. There I was, having just enjoyed visits to several Palestinian towns, looking very much the harmless, middle-class American tourist, with what I was sure were the right stamps in my passport, being told I could not re-enter Israel nor continue my trip to Nazareth. I gave the young soldier my best surely-you-don’t-mean-me look. Then, a polite request to "please call a superior officer." All to no avail. I would have to return to "wherever I came from." This was my second trip to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. I had wandered all over Jerusalem, spent a day at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum, talked with young people at the Aida refugee camp and walked the battle-scarred market in Hebron. I had been treated to full-gauge Middle Eastern hospitality at friends’ homes in Jifna and Jerusalem. Punishing Gaza Stephen Lendman, MIFTAH 11/12/2007 On September 20, Haaretz reported: "The security cabinet voted unanimously yesterday to increase sanctions against the Hamas-run Gaza Strip (and declare) the region a ’hostile entity.’ "A further statement read: "We will reduce the amount of megawattage we provide to the Strip, and Hamas will have to decide whether to provide electricity to hospitals or weapons lathes." Israeli officials also decided to punish Gazansby restricting: -- fuel as well as electricity from Israel to Gaza; -- the passage of goods and people through border crossings that are already severely restricted; and -- visits to prisoners even further than how limited they are already. An increased monitoring of funds was also announced as well as stating border crossings would be closed for up to 48 hours in response to (crude small homemade) Qassam rocket fire, and that Israel would supply nothing further to Gaza residents "except for (whatever Israel considers) humanitarian needs." Hamas’ response was swift and sharp. Spokesman Fawzi Barhoum called the cabinet’s decision and sanctions a "declaration of war" and said "we must unite the ranks to come together in the conflict with the cruel enemy....This is another attempt to force us to surrender (our sovereignty)." Audio: Crossing the Line focuses on the right of return Podcast, Crossing the Line, 12 November 2007, Electronic Intifada 11/12/2007 This week on Crossing The Line: Presently there are around seven million Palestinian refugees around the world. Host Christopher Brown speaks first with activist Adam Shapiro, co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement. Next Brown speaks with Diana Buttu, legal adviser, and former spokesperson for the PLO about the most contentious issue with regards to peace between Palestinians and Israelis. As always, Crossing the Line begins with "This week in Palestine," a service provided by The International Middle East Media Center Listen Now [MP3 - 18.8 MB, 47:00 min] Crossing the Line is a weekly podcast dedicated to giving voice to the voiceless in occupied Palestine. Through investigative news, arts, eyewitness accounts, and music, Crossing the Line does its best to present the lives of people on the ground. Crossing the Line’s host, Christopher Brown, is an independent journalist currently living in San Francisco.Brown’s South African roots and desire for social change are the reason for his strong solidarity with the Palestinian people. In 1990 Brown was arrested in South Africa where he was detained and tortured for nearly two years by the South African secret police. Brown also lived and worked in the Old City of Hebron in the occupied West Bank. Stephen Lendman: Punishing Gaza Palestine Chronicle 11/8/2007 On September 20, Haaretz reported: "The security cabinet voted unanimously yesterday to increase sanctions against the Hamas-run Gaza Strip (and declare) the region a ’hostile entity.’ "A further statement read: "We will reduce the amount of megawattage we provide to the Strip, and Hamas will have to decide whether to provide electricity to hospitals or weapons lathes." Israeli officials also decided to punish Gazansby restricting: -- fuel as well as electricity from Israel to Gaza; -- the passage of goods and people through border crossings that are already severely restricted; and -- visits to prisoners even further than how limited they are already. An increased monitoring of funds was also announced as well as stating border crossings would be closed for up to 48 hours in response to (crude small homemade) Qassam rocket fire, and that Israel would supply nothing further to Gaza residents "except for (whatever Israel considers) humanitarian needs." Hamas’ response was swift and sharp. Spokesman Fawzi Barhoum called the cabinet’s decision and sanctions a "declaration of war" and said "we must unite the ranks to come together in the conflict with the cruel enemy....This is another attempt to force us to surrender (our sovereignty)." Punishing Gaza Stephen Lendman, ZNet 11/7/2007 On September 20, Haaretz reported: "The security cabinet voted unanimously yesterday to increase sanctions against the Hamas-run Gaza Strip (and declare) the region a ’hostile entity.’ " A further statement read: "We will reduce the amount of megawattage we provide to the Strip, and Hamas will have to decide whether to provide electricity to hospitals or weapons lathes." Israeli officials also decided to punish Gazans by restricting: -- fuel as well as electricity from Israel to Gaza; -- the passage of goods and people through border crossings that are already severely restricted; and -- visits to prisoners even further than how limited they are already. An increased monitoring of funds was also announced as well as stating border crossings would be closed for up to 48 hours in response to (crude small homemade) Qassam rocket fire, and that Israel would supply nothing further to Gaza residents "except for (whatever Israel considers) humanitarian needs." Hamas’ response was swift and sharp. Spokesman Fawzi Barhoum called the cabinet’s decision and sanctions a "declaration of war" and said "we must unite the ranks to come together in the conflict with the cruel enemy....This is another attempt to force us to surrender (our sovereignty)." Killing of Palestinian prisoner condemned Press Release, United Against Torture Coalition, 1 November 2007, Electronic Intifada 11/1/2007 The United Against Torture Coalition (UAT), comprised of Israeli, Palestinian and international human rights NGOs that cooperate in the struggle to combat torture and abuse in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), is gravely concerned by the actions of the Israel Prison Service (IPS) in Ketziot Prison in the Negev that left one Palestinian prisoner dead and dozens more injured. On Monday 22 October, in the early hours of the morning, whilst the prisoners were sleeping, the IPS riot control unit, the Massada Unit, carried out a search in the prisoners’ quarters; this allegedly was a search for weapons and other items prohibited by the prison authorities. The prisoners reacted in self-defense and protested and the excessive response by the Massada Unit led to the death of one prisoner, Mohammad Sati Mohammad al-Ashkar, 29 years of age. Al-Ashkar, from the town of Saida, near Tulkarem, was serving a two-year sentence and was due to be released in January 2008. Lawyers who visited the prisoners state that nine prisoners were severely wounded and required hospitalization; they also state that up to 260 prisoners were lightly injured, including those suffering from breathing difficulties. There is evidence to suggest that clubs, tear gas and possibly rubber bullets were used by the Massada Unit during the unrest. Haaretz newspaper reports that about 15 wardens were lightly wounded. To date, there have been no press reports or publicizing of any weapons or other items having been uncovered in the raid. LinksAdalah Adalah (Justice in Arabic) is the first non-profit, non-sectarian Palestinian-run legal center in Israel. The main goal of Adalah’s work is to achieve equal rights and minority rights protections for Palestinian citizens of Israel. Addameer Prisoners’ Support and Human Rights Organization: Addameer (conscience) is a Palestinian non-governmental, civil institution which focuses on human rights issues. Supports Palestinian prisoners, advocates for rights of political prisoners, works to end torture. Amnesty International Amnesty International (AI) is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights. AI’s vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. Amnesty International USA Amnesty International (AI) is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights. AI’s vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. Arab Association for Human Rights - HRA The HRA was founded in 1988 to promote and protect the political, civil, economic, and cultural rights of the Palestinian Arab minority in Israel and to further the domestic implementation of international human rights principles. It is an independent non-governmental organisation registered in Israel. Association for Civil Rights in Israel - ACRI The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) was founded in 1972 as a non-political and independent body, with the goal of protecting human and civil rights in Israel and in the territories under Israeli control. B’tselem The Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch is an independent, nongovernmental organization, supported by contributions from private individuals and foundations worldwide. Human Rights Watch is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world. Occupation Prisoners News stories and reports about Palestinian prisoners from International Press Center, of the Palestinian National Authority’s State Information Service. Palestinian Centre for Human Rights The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) is an independent legal body based in Gaza City dedicated to protecting human rights, promoting the rule of law, and upholding democratic principles in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Palestinian Prisoners Society The Palestinian Prisoner Society is a social and human institution and its members are prisoners inside prisons and released prisoners. Membership is open to every Palestinian prisoner inside and outside prisons who meets the conditions of membership. Physicians for Human Rights - Israel Physicians for Human Rights - Israel (PHR-Israel) was established in 1988 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, dedicated to promoting and protecting the medical human rights of all residents of Israel and the Occupied Territories. Public Committee Against Torture in Israel - PCATI An independent human rights organization founded that monitors the implementation conditions in detention centers and continues the struggle against the use of torture in interrogation in Israel and the Palestinian Authority. United Nations Information System on the Question of Palestine The main collection contains the texts of current and historical United Nations material concerning the question of Palestine and other issues related to the Middle East situation and the search for peace. World Organisation Against Torture OMCT is today the largest international coalition of NGOs fighting against torture,summary executions, forced disappearances and all other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment in order to preserve Human Rights. It has at its disposal a network, SOS Torture, consisting of some 240 non-governmental organisations which act as sources of information.
The Treatment of Prisoners and Detainees: Home page
To receive
a once-daily (M-F) e-mail digest of our News and Articles content, write
to Disclaimer: The views expressed in the material posted on this site are the sole responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the webmaster or Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel. FAIR USE NOTICE: This site may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
