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Sun 15 Aug, 2004 02:54 pm
Quote:Palestinians in Israeli Jails Start Hunger Strike
By Mohammed Assadi
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails began a hunger strike for better conditions on Sunday, but Israel's security minister said he didn't care if they starved to death.
The prisoners, seen by Palestinians as symbols of resistance to Israeli occupation, want wardens to stop strip searches, allow more frequent visits from their families, improve sanitary conditions and install public telephones, supporters said.
More than 7,500 Palestinians, including 4,000 jailed over violence against Israelis, are imprisoned in Israel.
"We declare, in the name of God, our national decision to launch an open hunger strike," the Palestinian Prisoners Society said in a statement, accusing Israel of "robbing us of all our rights, treading on our dignity and treating us like animals."
The Israel Prisons Authority and Palestinian spokesmen said striking prisoners declared they would live only on fluids until their demands are met. Internal Security Minister Tzahi Hanegbi, however, said Israel would not bow to pressure.
"As far as I'm concerned they can strike for a day, a month, until death. We will ward off this strike and it will be as if it never happened," he told reporters.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie said in a statement any progress toward peace with Israel was contingent on resolving "this central and sensitive" issue.
NO CIGARETTES
Ofer Lefler, a Prisons Authority spokesman, said privileges such as cigarettes, sweets and television were taken away from the prisoners after they began the strike, which he described as a "disturbance."
He said if a prisoner became too emaciated "an ethical committee" would decide whether to begin force feeding.
Israeli officials said they feared closer contact with the outside world through more visits and phone calls would enable prisoners to help militants at large plan attacks on Israelis.
Good for them. Hopefully this way they may acheive their suicidal entrances into paradise and to their 70 virgins without taking a lot of innocents with them.
Palestinian terrorists intentionally target civilians for maximum slaughter, and here they are worried about their phone calls and family visits. It's touching really ...
yes, but it serves no purpose. Because so many times the israelis ignored it.
more informations:
Palestinian threats as jail hunger strike starts
Quote:Palestinian militants have threatened to kidnap Israelis and to step up bombings in support of 3,800 prisoners who launched a hunger strike yesterday in 20 Israeli jails.
Nasser Joma'a, commander of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in Nablus, said: "This is our response to the rejection of the Palestinian strugglers' demands. We will escalate our military actions."
The prison service reported that, so far, 1,645 had joined the strike in four prisons. They were refusing food, but drinking water. The rest are expected to start fasting later this week. The prisoners are demanding access to telephones, that glass partitions separating them from visitors be removed and an end to "humiliating" body searches.
Ya'akov Ganot, the prison commissioner, said he was ready to compromise, but "not at the price of demands to continue hostile terrorist action or to control the prisons".
Tzachi Hanegbi, Israel's Public Security Minister, insisted: "The prisoners can strike for a day, a month, even starve to death as far as I'm concerned." Ian Domnitz, a prison service spokesman, told The Independent that officials would consider force-feeding.
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Lusatian you seem to be sure that all these 7,500 are terrorists:
Lusatian wrote:Palestinian terrorists intentionally target civilians for maximum slaughter, and here they are worried about their phone calls and family visits. It's touching really ...
and that is sure true considering this line:
Quote:More than 7,500 Palestinians, including 4,000 jailed over violence against Israelis, are imprisoned in Israel.
... 3,500 Palestinians who are in prison without doing any violence against Israelis. Why just don't say you hate Palestinians, Lusatian?
No, you see hating the Palestinians would be a compliment to those who thrive on senseless chaos. The Palestinians involved in the fighting and the terrorism lack the qualities worthy of the word hatred. They are a group of people with no strategic outlook, no economic value, no military coherence, no governmental skill, no social progress, no creative muster - no Rick, hating such would be like hating maggots for infesting meat.
Of course not every Palestinian fits the mold of the socially degenerative terrorist. For those I feel pity, but not much else.
Israeli police want stop now the hunger strike with barbecue smell ...
If they want to go on a hunger strike let them. if they get hungry enought they will eat if not they will die. Either way it's their choice. I would not lift one finger to interfere with that choice.
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