Mada al-Carmel, the Arab Center for Applied Social Studies, and the Institute for Palestine studies issued a monitoring report on the situation of Palestinians in 1948 occupied Palestine. They noted that there were seven cases of home demolitions and five cases of political detention and imprisonment against Palestinian citizens of Israel in October 2017.
The report noted that these home demolitions and political imprisonments reflect the fundamental racism of the state toward Palestinians, including the use of racist laws, policies and discourse of decision-making politicians. “Each month, we see ongoing racist policies against the Palestinian people,” said Khaled Anabtawi of Mada el-Carmel. “There is a clear Israeli strategy in recent years that seeks to ‘resolve’ the issue of Palestinians of the inside through focusing the Zionist nature of the state and imposing this as a practice on the ground.”
Anabtawi noted the repression of the Islamic Movement by the Israeli state, including the harassment of Sheikh Raed Salah, as an ongoing and persistent violation of Palestinian human rights, as well as the latest case of Dr. Suleiman Eghbariyeh, who was refused release by an Israeli court and turned to house arrest, denied contact with anyone except immediate family.
The following press release is reprinted from the No Way to Treat a Child campaign. U.S. lawmakers seek to prohibit taxpayer funds from supporting human rights violations against Palestinian minors in Israeli military detention system
Washington, D.C., November 14, 2017—Members of Congress on Tuesday introduced a bill prohibiting U.S. financial support of abuses against Palestinian children in the Israeli military detention system, putting violations under the magnifying glass of U.S. taxpayers.
The Promoting Human Rights by Ending Israeli Military Detention of Palestinian Children Act requires the Secretary of State to certify annually that no funds obligated or expended in the previous year by the United States for assistance to Israel have been used to support the ill-treatment of Palestinian children detained by Israeli forces from the occupied West Bank.
Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) brought the bill to the floor, with eight original co-sponsors, including Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) and Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI), co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
An estimated 10,000 Palestinians between the ages of 12 and 17 in the West Bank have been subject to arrest, detention, interrogation, and/or imprisonment under the jurisdiction of Israeli military courts since 2000. This bill was drafted in response to widely documented rights violations carried out by Israeli military and police against children within the military detention system, including torture or cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment.
“Despite ongoing engagement with UN bodies and repeated calls to abide by international law, Israeli military and police continue night arrests, physical violence, coercion, and threats against Palestinian children,” said Khaled Quzmar, general director of Defense for Children International – Palestine. “These practices remain institutionalized and systemic rather than last resort measures, and we call on the U.S. to halt its support of these violations.”
The bill aims to establish, as a minimum safeguard, a U.S. demand for basic due process rights for and an absolute prohibition against torture and ill-treatment of Palestinian children arrested and prosecuted within the Israeli military court system.
Israel has the dubious distinction of being the only country in the world that systematically prosecutes an estimated 500 to 700 children each year in military courts that lack fundamental fair trial rights and protections.
In every annual report on Israel and the occupied territories released since 2007, U.S. authorities have openly acknowledged the prevalence of torture and ill-treatment of Palestinian children and the denial of fair trials rights in the Israeli military detention system.
In 2013, UNICEF released a report titled Children in Israeli Military Detention: Observations and Recommendations. The report concluded that “ill-treatment of children who come in contact with the military detention system appears to be widespread, systematic and institutionalized throughout the process.”
Despite sustained engagement by UNICEF and repeated calls to end night arrests and ill-treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli military detention, Israeli authorities have persistently failed to implement substantive reforms to end violence against child detainees.
Four Palestinian prisoners are currently on hunger strike in Israeli prison. Salah al-Khawaja, 50, of the village of Nil’in, launched a hunger strike on Monday, 13 November after his administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial, was renewed only one day before he was scheduled for release.
Administrative detention orders, which last for one to six months at a time, are indefinitely renewable, and Palestinians routinely spend years at a time jailed under administrative detention.
Khawaja is also suffering a delicate health condition. Within days after he was detained, he was taken for a heart catheterization procedure at the Shaare Tzedek hospital, where he was told that an open heart surgery was necessary. The Israel Prison Service refused to authorize the operation and his imprisonment without charge or trial, while needing serious health treatment, continues.
He joins three more Palestinian prisoners on open hunger strike – Hassan Shokeh, 29, on strike for 34 days against his imprisonment without charge or trial, and Hamza Marwan Bouzia, 27, on strike for 23 days against administrative detention. Bajis Nakhleh has been on hunger strike for seven days, a strike he launched immediately upon his arrest by Israeli occupation forces on 8 November, only 2 months after his release on 1 September.
**
In particular, Bouzia and Shokeh have been on hunger strike for an extended period of time, in which they not only are suffering from extensive weight loss, fatigue and pain but also cognitive difficulties. Prior to and after the third week of hunger strike is one of the most dangerous times for a person on strike. The commitment of the hunger strikers to achieve their freedom is so great – and the ability to challenge administrative detention so limited by the occupation – that their bodies and lives are on the line in their bid for freedom.
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network urges support and action to free these four Palestinians whose lives and bodies are on the line for freedom and against injustice. By taking action, you can show the Israeli occupation and international governments that these Palestinians are not alone and have worldwide support and solidarity with their urgent demands.
Take action:
1) Organize or join an event in support of the hunger strikers. Protest outside your local Israeli embassy, consulate or mission, or at a public square or government building. You can drop a banner or put up a table to support the prisoners and their strike. You can also bring signs and flyers about the hunger strikers to local events about Palestine and social justice. Send your events and actions to us at samidoun@samidoun.net or on Facebook.
2) Call your government officials and urge action. Call your foreign affairs officials – and members of parliament – and urge action for the Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike.
Call your country’s officials urgently:
Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop: + 61 2 6277 7500
Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland: +1-613-992-5234
European Union Commissioner Federica Mogherini: +32 (0) 2 29 53516
New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully: +64 4 439 8000
United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson: +44 20 7008 1500
United States President Donald Trump: 1-202-456-1111
Tell your government: Three Palestinian prisoners are on hunger strike for their basic human rights – for freedom from imprisonment without charge or trial. Governments must pressure Israel to end administrative detention now!
3) Build the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Campaign! Join the BDS Movement to highlight the complicity of corporations like Hewlett-Packard and the continuing involvement of G4S in Israeli policing and prisons. Build a campaign to boycott Israeli goods, impose a military embargo on Israel, or organize around the academic and cultural boycott of Israel.
Samidoun activists in London joined fellow organizers from Victory to the Intifada, Revolutionary Communist Group, Inminds and other organizations for a protest on 7 November outside the Royal Albert Hall, protesting a celebration of the colonial Balfour Declaration on its 100th anniversary.
Photo: Inminds
Protesters stood outside the entrance chanting in support of the Palestinian people and against Zionism, imperialism and colonialism and the British responsibility for the occupation of Palestine. The concert was attended by British prime minister Theresa May and Israeli occupation prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“I participated in the protest because I am angry and sick of the British colonial mind-set, arrogance and ignorance. Where I come from, Britain is neither neutral nor innocent in what happened and is still happening in Palestine. So called ‘Israel’ is a British colonial project in the first place, and Britain literally set the foundations of the Zionist settler colonial project in Palestine. it is important for me to remind the arrogant British politician and that we still refuse the colonial project in Palestine,” said Yafa Hussein, a university student from al-Quds.
Phot: Lara Khalidi
Carrying speakers, signs and banners, the protesters marched despite the rain to all of the entrances of the hall, loudly and clearly denouncing British and now Zionist occupation in Palestine. Chants included “Brick by brick, wall by wall, Israeli Apartheid has to fall!” “Aida, Dheisheh and Balata, Victory to the intifada,” “From Al Quds to Ramallah, victory to the intifada,” and “Resistance is justified when Palestine is occupied.”
“We are here tonight demonstrating against a British celebration of racism and imperialism and colonialism, Zionism must be erased from the map; as an ideology and as a state,” said Lara Khalidi, Palestinian activist and Samidoun organizer.
Phot:o Lara Khalidi
“We are here standing against British imperialism as an internationalist communist organisation, standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people, and Britain has such a hug hand in oppressing the Palestinian people going back 100 years to the Balfour declaration. That is why are standing here saying: ‘no celebration of Balfour in Britain, we will not stand this, we will be here protesting against it, against Zionism, imperialism against the oppression of the Palestinian people and in solidarity with the Palestinian people and their resistance,'” said Wesam Khaled of the Revolutionary Communist Group – RCG.
Phot:o Lara Khalidi
Protesters carried Palestinian flags as well as Irish flags; some carried the banner of the leftist Palestinian party, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. A group of Zionists attempted to get the Metropolitan Police to force the demonstrators to remove the banner, accusing them of carrying a banned “terrorist” flag, but the demonstrators used information on their phones to demonstrate that, in fact, the PFLP’s flag is not banned in the UK. This prompted Zionist organizations to launch a campaign to attempt to ban the PFLP and the display of its flag at demonstrations in Britain after they failed to suppress the demonstration or prevent their message from being heard through police harassment.
Photo: Penelope Barritt
The flag incident came after the police attempted to block the entrances of the hall, keep protesters far away from attendees and otherwise support the pro-Zionist event while attempting to suppress or minimize the protest.
Photo: Victory to the Intifada
“The Metropolitan police showed just how racist they are when they proceeded to abuse, cajole and harass peaceful protesters for standing up against Israeli apartheid. There behaviour is akin to the Israeli forces in occupied Palestine, the RUC in occupied Ireland or the civil guard of Spain,” said Daithi Cliontun, an Irish Republican socialist and protest participant.
Photo: Victory to the Intifada
Signs carried by the protesters included support for the Palestinian resistance, posters of Ghassan Kanafani, Palestinian writer and political leader assassinated by Israel, and denunciations of the Balfour declaration, imperialism and Zionism.
Photo: Inminds
“The group was small as the rain probably kept more people away but our voices in support of Palestine were loud and clear,” said Norma Hashim, Editor of The Prisoners’ Diaries and treasurer of Viva Palestina Malaysia.
Photo: Lara Khalidi
The protest came as part of a series of protests and events against the 100th anniversary of the Balfour declaration in London, across the UK and internationally. On 4 November, tens of thousands of protesters took the streets in London for a mass march against the Balfour declaration and in support of Palestine, under the slogan “Make it Right.” On 3 November, organizers protested outside a speech by Netanyahu, urging he be expelled as a war criminal; protests and events have continued in London, Manchester and elsewhere.
The Israeli occupation state has vowed to prevent a delegation of French mayors who wish to visit imprisoned Palestinian parliamentarian and Fateh political leader Marwan Barghouthi from entering occupied Palestine, citing anti-BDS political exclusion. Gilad Erdan, Israeli security minister, declared that “We will not allow anyone who calls for a boycott of our state to visit us.”
The delegation of 20 European parliamentarians, mayors and other officials is scheduled to arrive in Ben-Gurion airport on 19 November. Erdan and Deri said that seven members will be denied entry due to their support for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS). The delegation seeks to visit with Barghouthi, the prominent imprisoned Palestinian leader and Fateh official, in Hadarim prison and express support for the Palestinian prisoners’ struggle for freedom.
Erdan’s security ministry benefits from research and development funds provided by Israel under the “Horizon 2020 program.” For example, LAW-TRAIN, the research project on interrogation that was later spurned by Portugal and is the subject of a large campaign in Belgium, is managed in partnership with Erdan’s ministry.
Aryeh Deri, fellow far-right interior minister, stated that the European delegation should “change the members of the delegation,” because they will not be allowed to enter.
It is also expected that the delegation will seek to visit Salah Hamouri, the Palestinian-French lawyer and human rights defender imprisoned without charge or trial, whose case has received support from municipalities and elected officials across France. Erdan’s Strategic Affairs ministry labeled Hamouri an “extremist delegitimizing activist;” in most cases, the term “delegitimization” is used to describe support for the BDS campaign. The language used in the document is highly indicative of the true reasons Hamouri is imprisoned – because of his political activity, defense of fellow Palestinian prisoners and role in advocating for Palestine in France.
The seven targeted officials include Members of European Parliament Pascal Durand and Patrick Le Hyaric, French parliamentarian Clementine Autain, Gennevilliers mayor Patrice Leclerc, Stains mayor Azzedine Taibi, Limay mayor Eric Roulot and French Communist Party leader Pierre Laurent.
This is only the latest attempt to suppress support for the Palestinian people and Palestinian prisoners and prevent the exposure of Israeli colonization, occupation and oppression from reaching international audiences through politically-motivated denials of entry. As noted in Ha’aretz, the ministry says that “the issue of Palestinian prisoners and efforts to delegitimize Israel are intertwined,” which indicates the growing effectiveness and importance of BDS and solidarity campaigns that highlight the cause of the Palestinian prisoners.
Human rights activists, including Raed Jarrar of Amnesty International, have been repeatedly barred under the anti-BDS laws, while Charlotte Kates of Samidoun was denied entry while coordinating a prisoner solidarity delegation after questioning about BDS activities. Palestinians born outside Palestine carrying European, U.S. and other passports are routinely denied entry both in retaliation for their activism and as a racist daily practice.
Israeli occupation forces seized at least 14 Palestinians throughout occupied Palestine in pre-dawn raids on Monday, 13 November, including former prisoner and long-term hunger striker Tareq Qa’adan, a prominent leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement.
Qa’adan, 45, was seized after a 1:30 am raid on his home in the town of Arrabeh, south of Jenin. Occupation forces ransacked his home and interrogated him on the spot before seizing him. He has spent over 10 years in Israeli prions in previous detentions – mostly imprisoned without charge or trial – and is related to many other current and former prisoners; his sister, Mona Qa’adan, is also a freed prisoner and prominent activist.
Khader Adnan, prominent former prisoner and long-term hunger striker, said that evidence indicates that the Israeli occupation intends to transfer Qa’adan to administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial. He said that he is confident that imprisonment will not break Qa’adan’s will, and that “he adheres firmly to the defense of the Palestinian cause and homeland, even when the price is his freedom.”
The Islamic Jihad movement issued a statement on the detention of Qa’adan, saying that “this unjust detention…comes amid a wave of targeting and escalation by the occupation against the movement and our steadfast people…Our people have known him as a solid national leader who defends the rights of his people and the fundamentals of his cause. He is known for his positive and strong relationships with all political and national forces and their leaders, who has spent long years in detention in the occupation prisons and a hero of the battles of the open hunger strike.”
This was followed on Tuesday morning, 14 November, by raids across the occupied Palestinian West Bank in which Israeli occupation forces seized 18 Palestinians. In Deir Abu Mashaal village west of Ramallah, occupation fores once again engaged in collective punishment of Palestinian families. They stormed the home of the family of Baraa Saleh Atta, killed by occupation forces after he participated in an armed action in which several Israeli police were killed. They confiscated tens of thousands of shekels from the village and arrested Baraa’s brother Nidal. The stolen funds are those that were raised to help support the families of the three young men, whose homes were sealed off and demolished by occupation forces; the Israeli occupation accused that these funds were “supporting terrorism.”
They also raided the towns of Qabatiya, Zababdeh and Maysaloon near Jenin, while in Tulkarem, they seized former prisoner Muath Jaroun, ransacking his home. They also stationed themselves once again at Kadoorie University, where the presence of armed Israeli occupation forces has become a regular threat and barrier to education for Palestinian students.
Palestinian prisoner Yousef Hassan Abu al-Kheir, 74, from Akka (Acre) in occupied Palestine ’48, is suffering from a difficult health situation in Gilboa prison. Abu al-Kheir has been imprisoned since May 2017 after over 30 years outside Palestine.
He is suffering from health problems, including heart disease and hearing problems. He previously suffered a stroke and underwent heart surgery before he was arrested, said the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society, noting that he needs urgent and consistent health care.
Abu al-Kheir returned to Palestine from Greece in May 2017. He had dealt with the Israeli embassy in Greece prior to arriving at the Ben-Gurion airport and had reportedly received assurances that there were no restrictions on his travel. He was arrested in 1969 and sentenced to life imprisonment; with many other Palestinians, he was released in the 1983 prisoner exchange with the Palestinian resistance. He was stripped of his Israeli citizenship, deported to Libya and later moved to Greece.
Before returning to Palestine, he reportedly visited the Israeli embassy in Athens and consulted with a lawyer; he was informed and believed that there were no problems with his return, yet when he arrived at the airport on 27 May, he was arrested on board the plane and taken to prison.
Abu al-Kheir’s prior sentence was reimposed by a secretive decision; while prior sentences have been repeatedly reimposed on over 60 prisoners released in the 2011 Wafa al-Ahrar prisoner exchange – an urgent priority for the Palestinian resistance and these long-time prisoners, including Nael Barghouthi and Samer Mahroum – a reimposed sentence on a former prisoner from the 1983 exchange is a newer, and disturbing, development for many former prisoners.
At least three Palestinian prisoners are currently on hunger strike in Israeli prison. On Wednesday, 8 November, Israeli occupation forces stormed the home of Bajis Nakhleh in the Jalazone refugee camp in Ramallah in a pre-dawn raid; he was taken to the Etzion interrogation center, where he immediately launched an open hunger strike. A former prisoner, Nakhleh, 53, spent over 20 years in Israeli prisons over various arrests and was released only two months prior, on 1 September. Nakhleh is now on his fourth day of hunger strike.
Hassan Hassanein Shokeh, 29, is on his 31st day of hunger strike, about to enter his second month without food. Shokeh was previously detained by the Israeli occupation and released on 31 August. He was seized once more by Israeli occupation forces on 29 September and once again ordered to administrative detention without charge or trial. He launched his hunger strike on 11 October in protest of his administrative detention. Shokeh has spent 13 years in Israeli prisons, including eight years in repeated administrative detention.
Hamza Marwan Bouzia, 27, from Kifl Hares in Salfit, is also on hunger strike for 26 days. He has served over seven years in Israeli prison in the past and is now held without charge or trial under administrative detention, and is demanding his freedom.
In particular, Bouzia and Shokeh have been on hunger strike for an extended period of time, in which they not only are suffering from extensive weight loss, fatigue and pain but also cognitive difficulties. Prior to and after the third week of hunger strike is one of the most dangerous times for a person on strike. The commitment of the hunger strikers to achieve their freedom is so great – and the ability to challenge administrative detention so limited by the occupation – that their bodies and lives are on the line in their bid for freedom.
On Thursday, 9 November, the family of Bilal Diab announced that he was suspending his hunger strike after 23 days. Diab, 32, suspended his strike after an agreement signed by the representetive of Islamic Jihad prisoners in Megiddo prison with the Israeli intelligence representative, Wattan TV reported. His administrative detention will not be extended and he will be released on 18 January 2018. He has been imprisoned without charge or trial since he was seized by Israeli occupation forces on 14 July 2017.
Diab previously launched a 78-day hunger strike in 2012 to win his freedom from administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial. The agreement came shortly following a hearing on Thursday morning by the Israeli high court, from which Diab was excluded due to his severely deteriorated health.
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network urges support and action to free these three Palestinians whose lives and bodies are on the line for freedom and against injustice. By taking action, you can show the Israeli occupation and international governments that these Palestinians are not alone and have worldwide support and solidarity with their urgent demands.
Take action:
1) Organize or join an event in support of the hunger strikers. Protest outside your local Israeli embassy, consulate or mission, or at a public square or government building. You can drop a banner or put up a table to support the prisoners and their strike. You can also bring signs and flyers about the hunger strikers to local events about Palestine and social justice. Send your events and actions to us at samidoun@samidoun.net or on Facebook.
2) Call your government officials and urge action. Call your foreign affairs officials – and members of parliament – and urge action for the Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike.
Call your country’s officials urgently:
Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop: + 61 2 6277 7500
Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland: +1-613-992-5234
European Union Commissioner Federica Mogherini: +32 (0) 2 29 53516
New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully: +64 4 439 8000
United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson: +44 20 7008 1500
United States President Donald Trump: 1-202-456-1111
Tell your government: Three Palestinian prisoners are on hunger strike for their basic human rights – for freedom from imprisonment without charge or trial. Governments must pressure Israel to end administrative detention now!
3) Build the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Campaign! Join the BDS Movement to highlight the complicity of corporations like Hewlett-Packard and the continuing involvement of G4S in Israeli policing and prisons. Build a campaign to boycott Israeli goods, impose a military embargo on Israel, or organize around the academic and cultural boycott of Israel.
Three Palestinian prisoners are continuing their hunger strikes in Israeli jails, demanding their release from administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial.
On Wednesday, 8 November, Israeli occupation forces stormed the home of Bajis Nakhleh in the Jalazone refugee camp in Ramallah in a pre-dawn raid; he was taken to the Etzion interrogation center, where he immediately launched an open hunger strike. A former prisoner, Nakhleh, 53, spent over 20 years in Israeli prisons over various arrests and was released only two months prior, on 1 September. He has pledged to continue his strike until his release.
He joined Hassan Shokeh, 29, from Bethlehem, on hunger strike since October 11 against his own imprisonment without charge or trial. Shokeh was seized again by occupation forces in late September, less than one month after he was released from Israeli prison on August 13, and ordered imprisoned without charge or trial.
Also on hunger strike is Hamza Bouzia of Salfit, held without charge or trial under administrative detention. He has been refusing food to demand his release from imprisonment.
Sheikh Khader Adnan, former long-term hunger striker, said that the hunger strikers are engaged in a battle of freedom and dignity that challenges the occupation. He urged greater action to support the hunger strikers and work to end their suffering, emphasizing that the hunger strike is a tool of action for the Palestinian prisoners’ movement (samidoun.net/2017/11/four-palestinian-prisoners-continue-hunger-strikes-in-israeli-prisons).
Marking 100 years of the Balfour Declaration, we present an important discussion on the British role in the creation of Israel, with guest speakers Palestinian activist Saed Assaf and FRFI writer Bob Shepherd.
The Balfour Declaration was made in Manchester. Chaim Weizman, the first Israeli head of state, was based at The University of Manchester – which is now celebrating the anniversary of this colonialist act. But why did British Tory and Labour politicians and business leaders like Marks & Spencer throw their weight behind Zionism? How did Palestinians respond to occupation? And, despite 100 years of colonial racism and war, why do the Palestinians remain undefeated in their struggle for justice?
Mada al-Carmel, the Arab Center for Applied Social Studies, and the Institute for Palestine studies issued a monitoring report on the situation of Palestinians in 1948 occupied Palestine. They noted that there were seven cases of home demolitions and five cases of political detention and imprisonment against Palestinian citizens of Israel in October 2017.
The following press release is reprinted from the 
The Israeli occupation state has 
Israeli occupation forces seized at least 14 Palestinians throughout occupied Palestine in pre-dawn raids on 
Palestinian prisoner 
Three Palestinian prisoners are continuing their hunger strikes in Israeli jails, demanding their release from administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial.
Marking 100 years of the Balfour Declaration, we present an important discussion on the British role in the creation of Israel, with guest speakers Palestinian activist Saed Assaf and FRFI writer Bob Shepherd.