Circus performer’s imprisonment without charge or trial extended; Palestinian intellectual’s administrative detention confirmed by military court

17 June 2017

*Photo: Toulouse protest to free Mohammed Abu Sakha*

The imprisonment without charge or trial of Palestinian circus performer Mohammed Abu Sakha was extended for three months by Israeli occupation forces. Abu Sakha, who trains Palestinian children in circus performance at the Palestinian Circus School, has performed around the world with Festiclown and PCS, with which he has been affiliated since 2007. He has been imprisoned by Israeli occupation forces since December 2015, held without charge or trial under administrative detention.

Abu Sakha has received global widespread support from artists, circus groups, human rights advocates and Palestine organizers. His detention order expired on 11 June 2017; his lawyers from Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association had obtained an order limiting the renewal of his detention to a three-month period.

Solidarity efforts have continued for Abu Sakha; most recently, Pallasos en Rebeldia (Clowns in Rebellion) organized a solidarity action for Abu Sakha called #PeregrinaClown in which spokesperson Ivan Prado walked from Gijon to Santiago de Compostela, performing from city to city in support of Abu Sakha’s release. This followed a circus-themed solidarity hunger strike during the strike of Dignity and Freedom in May 2017, in which Abu Sakha refused food for more than 40 days with 1,500 fellow Palestinian prisoners.

In addition, the three-month administrative detention order against Palestinian intellectual Ahmad Qatamesh was confirmed by an Israeli occupation military court on 13 June. Qatamesh, 67, who has spent years in Israeli prison, including imprisoned without charge or trial under administrative detention, was seized by Israeli occupation forces on 14 May; the order was issued against him three days later.

Qatamesh was last released from imprisonment without charge or trial in December 2013 after two and a half years in Israeli jails. He was first seized by Israeli occupation forces in 1969 and again in 1972. After four years of imprisonment, he was living “underground” in occupied Palestine to avoid arrest. In 1992, he was seized once more by Israeli occupation forces and subjected to over 100 days of interrogation and torture. He was held for five and a half years in administrative detention without charge or trial. Amnesty International has joined numerous Palestinian and solidarity organizations in demanding freedom for this prisoner of conscience.

Meanwhile, Israeli occupation military courts issued 27 administrative detention orders since the beginning of the month of June, reported Palestinian lawyer Mahmoud Halabi on 15 June. The orders ranged from three to six months in length and included both new orders and renewals. Administrative detention orders are indefinitely renewable; Palestinians can spend years in prison without charge or trial under renewed administrative detention orders. There are approximately 500 Palestinians currently imprisoned under administrative detention orders out of a total of 6,300 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails. Since 1967, 50,000 administrative detention orders have been issued against Palestinians.

The orders included the following:

1. Ibrahim Jak Abdel-Mohsen, from Ramallah, 4 months, extension
2. Ahmed Abdel-Basit Abu Raya, from al-Khalil, 6 months, extension
3. Nadim Ibrahim Sabarneh, from al-Khalil, 6 months, new order
4. Ali Taqi Tawfiq, from Tulkarem, 4 months, extension
5. Sa’adi Mahmoud Khdeirat, from al-Khalil, 4 months, extension
6. Mohammed Ghassan Najdi, from Tulkarem, 4 months,extension
7. Hasan Hassanein Shawkah, from Bethlehem, 3 months, extension
8. Yazan Mohammed Shalbayah, from Ramallah, 3 months, extension
9. Oreib Walid Salem, from Ramallah, 4 months, extension
10. Ahmed Fayez Saadi, from Jenin, 4 months, extension
11. Abdel-Aziz Mahmoud Mubarak, from Ramallah, 4 months, new order
12. Mahmoud Kamal al-Razi, from Jenin, 3 months, extension
13. Omar Mohammed Baraka, from Jericho, 4 months, new order
14. Louay Sami Ashqar, from Tulkarem, 3 months, extension
15. Majdi Abdel-Qader Oweidat, from Jericho, 2 months, extension
16. Mohammed Faisal Abu Sakha, from Jenin, 3 months, extension
17. Osama Khaled Yamin, from Nablus, 3 months, extension
18. Awad Mahmoud al-Sakhra, from Bethlehem, 4 months, extension
19. Nasim Fadel al-Rifai, from al-Khalil, 6 months, new order
20. Khalid Mansour Abdel-Nabi, from al-Khalil, 3 months, extension
21. Muath Mohamed Saman, from Bethlehem, 6 months, new order
22. Bassam Abdel-Rahim Hamad, from Silwad, 4 months, new order
23. Hamoudeh Akram Jaber, from al-Khalil, 6 months, new order
24. Eyad Salameh Dabis, from Bethlehem, 6 months, extension
25. Sami Fayez Sirhan, from al-Khalil, 4 months, extension
26. Ahmad Sami Wardah, from Ramallah, 4 months, extension
27. Naji Hamdi Abu Khalaf, 3 months, extension

Re-arrested Palestinian lawyer Muhammad Allan isolated on tenth day of hunger strike

17 June 2017

Re-arrested former Palestinian prisoner and long-term hunger striker Muhammad Allan was transferred to isolation in Megiddo prison on his tenth day of hunger strike, Saturday, 17 June. The Palestinian lawyer from the village of Einabus launched the strike on 8 June following his seizure by Israeli occupation forces during a pre-dawn raid on his family home. Mohja al-Quds reported that he had been held in the Jalameh/Kishon interrogation center since that time before being moved into isolation.

Allan’s detention was extended on Thursday, 15 June by an Israeli military court; Ma’an News reported that he is now being accused of “incitement” for posting his political opinions on Facebook. Hundreds of Palestinians have been arrested and charged by Israeli occupation forces with “incitement” for posting their political opinions or honoring Palestinians killed by Israeli occupation forces.

He was last released from Israeli prison in November 2015 following a 66-day hunger strike in which he secured an end to his year-long administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial. Allan, 33, won worldwide support and solidarity from lawyers’ organizations and supporters of Palestinian rights during his hunger strike. He had previously been detained twice in Israeli occupation prisons and had previously been sentenced to imprisonment for affiliation with Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Allan is not the only long-term hunger striker recently re-arrested by Israeli occupation forces. Anas Shadid, 20, who was released only 20 days prior on 24 May 2017, conducted a 90-day hunger strike alongside Anas Abu Fara to win his release from imprisonment without charge or trial. He was seized by Israeli occupation forces in a pre-dawn raid on 15 June after being summoned to interrogation with Israeli occupation intelligence.

Khader Adnan, former long-term hunger striker, noted that Allan’s strike is coming in rejection of the policy of re-arrest of former hunger strikers and released prisoners, denouncing the ongoing seizures of released prisoners.

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network denounces the ongoing re-arrests and attacks on released Palestinian prisoners. We express our strongest solidarity with Muhammad Allan’s struggle for freedom and urge the immediate release of Palestinian lawyer Muhammad Allan and all Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons.

Video: Leila Khaled calls for all to join Greek protests against Netanyahu

15 June 2017

Palestinian resistance figure Leila Khaled has issued a call to join protests today, 15 June, in Thessaloniki and Athens, against the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network in Greece is mobilizing for these demonstrations along with a number of Left organizations, anti-war and anti-imperialist groups and movements, Palestinian community and solidarity groups and the Friends of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in Greece.

Watch the video:

The Netanyahu visit is coming in the context of a tripartite summit between Greece, Israel and Cyprus. The summit aims to discuss the creation of natural gas pipelines to ship stolen Palestinian gas to Europe by connecting it with Greek and Cypriot gas resources; it will also focus on the intensified military cooperation and joint military exercises between the countries. These military exercises and extractive plans are designed to benefit the Israeli occupation and large multinational corporations at the expense of the people of Palestine, Greece and Cyprus; they pose a threat to the safety of people in the region as well as people’s control over their own wealth and resources.

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network calls on all to participate in the demonstrations and actions to say NO to NETANYAHU and make clear that this war criminal is not welcome!

Protests will take place:

Thursday, 15 June – Athens, Greece – 7 pm, Israeli Embassy – march to Ministry of Defense

Thursday, 15 June – Thessaloniki, Greece – 7 pm – Venizelos Statue

Many Greek organizations have joined the calls to protest.

The Communist Organization of Greece (KOE), said that “The zionist Israeli state is also one of the protagonists in Trump’s war campaign against Iran and anyone else blocking US plans in the region. With the head of this state-terrorist, the Tsipras-Kammenos government allies, further deepening an adventurous choice that engulfs our country and our people in major adventures and jeopardizes Greece’s real interests.”

“An anti-imperialist alarm has been risen in Athens and Thessaloniki by anti-war and anti-racist movements, unions, political organizations and movements, the friends of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network to confront the dangerous developments in the region confronting us,” said the New Left Current (NAR) as it joined with ANTARSYA, the Network for Social and Political Rights, Popular Unity (LAE) and KKE (ml) to call for participation in the actions.

The Greek Front of Resistance and Solidarity for Palestine “Ghassan Kanafani” denounced the actions of the Greek government of SYRIZA and ANEL. “The Greek goverment seeks to turn Greece into a transit energy center from which the natural resources, stolen by the Palestinian people, will be passed. The United States and the EU approve this deal by all means, because strengthening their strongest policeman in the region, is their main pursuit…” said the organization.

Meanwhile, the Workers’ Revolutionary Party (EEK), denounced the summit, calling to kick out Netanyahu from Greece. “Only oil companies such as Exxon Mobile of the US Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Tillerson or the French Total, or the Italian ENI hope to see their profits skyrocketing. At the same time war tensions will exacerbate as well as an armaments race. The Greek people as well as the people of the area will be forced to pay for these deals, through the armaments race and perhaps their blood.”

Text of Leila Khaled’s video call to action:

Comrades and friends, sisters and brothers

On behalf of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, I extend our warm greeting to the Greek parties and the Greek people who responded to the call of the PFLP to unite against the visit of a war criminal Netanyahu to Greece.

He will attend a trio summit with Cyprus and the Greek Government. We extend our solidarity to your strong stand against such summits which benefit the apartheid state of Israel who occupies our homeland Palestine, since 69 years. This state which denies the Palestinian rights – right for return, self-determination and establishing an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital in Palestine.

Instead of taking Netanyahu to the court for his crimes against us and not abiding by international law, he is to be received on the Greek land to sell the stolen Palestinian gas and to build a coalition against you and us.

This message is to call on all progressive, socialist, democratic, anti-imperialist, anti-apartheid forces to firmly stand strongly against this visit and this summit. Our mutual struggle is based on common interests for our peoples.

On behalf of the martyrs, the prisoners and their families, I call upon everyone to participate in the demonstration. Let Netanyahu hear our voices, from Palestine to Greece via Cyprus, that he is not welcome anywhere.

Comrades and friends, let this stand be towards the unity of the left in Greece. Our enemies – on top of them the imperialist Americans – are doing their best to keep the progressive forces to be shattered and not united. They are igniting wars in our region. They can ignite other wars in other countries as well to silence the voice of the people.

Comrades and friends, together in struggle we can prevent them from implementing their plans against us. Raise your voices! Netanyahu out of Greece! Long live people’s struggle! We are united against imperialism. We are united against apartheid Israel. Boycott, divest, sanctions against Israel!

17 June, Brussels: Free Georges Ibrahim Abdallah

13 June 2017

Saturday, 17 June
3:00 pm
Consulate General of France
42 Blvd du Regent
1000 Brussels, Belgium
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/220890101754594/

On Friday, 17 June, outside the consulate general of France in Brussels, we will join to support the call of the national demonstration to Free Georges Abdallah in Paris, organized by the Unified Campaign to Free Georges Ibrahim Abdallah.

19 June is the international day of revolutionary prisoners.

An occasion that is very important for us to express our solidarity with Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, Arab revolutionary Communist, struggler for the national liberation movement of Palestine, jailed in the French state prisons for 33 years. He was condemned to a life sentence for complicity in acts of resistance claimed by the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Fraction (LARF) while his country of Lebanon was invaded by Zionist forces.

He has been eligible for release since 1999. Despite two orders for release by a sentencing tribunal, Georges Ibrahim Abdallah remains imprisoned in France at the impetus of the US government. Georges Ibrahim Abdallah is a political prisoner who has no regrets for the struggle he has always led and which he pursues today, for freedom, justice and the emancipation of oppressed peoples. This struggle is fully part of the current struggle. It is the just and legitimate struggle of those who oppose the capitalist offensive and its wars of plunder. It is the struggle of all of those who confront repressive state violence which attempts to gag them, in the streets, the working-class neighborhood, or is the political and trade union context.

This fight of a lifetime is also ours! He is part of our struggle and we are with his struggle! That is why we call upon all who stand with the Palestinian resistance to fight capitalism, imperialism, Zionism, colonialism and the Arab reactionary regimes, to join us on Saturday, 17 June, to affirm the demand for his release.

Unified Campaign for the Liberation of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah

Le 19 juin est la journée internationale des prisonniers révolutionnaires.

Une occasion de plus pour exprimer notre solidarité à Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, militant communiste révolutionnaire arabe, combattant pour la lutte de libération nationale de la Palestine et incarcéré dans les geôles de l’État français depuis 33 ans. Condamné à perpétuité pour complicité dans des actes de résistance revendiqués par les Fractions armées révolutionnaires libanaises, alors que son pays, le Liban, était envahi par les troupes sionistes, il est libérable depuis 1999. Malgré deux libérations prononcées par le tribunal d’application des peines, Georges Ibrahim Abdallah est maintenu en prison en France, sur injonction du gouvernement étatsunien.

Georges Ibrahim Abdallah est un prisonnier politique qui n’a ni regrets ni remords pour le combat qu’il a toujours mené et qu’il poursuit aujourd’hui pour la justice, la liberté et l’émancipation des peuples opprimés. Ce combat s’inscrit pleinement sur le terreau des luttes actuelles. C’est le combat des révoltes justes et légitimes de celles et ceux qui s’opposent à l’offensive capitaliste et à ses guerres de pillage. C’est le combat de tous ceux qui font face à la violence répressive d’Etat, qui s’abat sur eux pour tenter de les bâillonner, que ce soit dans la rue, dans les quartiers populaires ou pour les militants politiques et syndicaux. Ce combat de toute une vie est aussi le nôtre !

Il est de nos luttes, nous sommes de son combat ! C’est pourquoi nous appelons tous ceux qui comme nous, sont aux côtés des peuples en lutte, au côté de la résistance Palestinienne, qui combattent le capitalisme, l’impérialisme, le sionisme, le colonialisme et les États réactionnaires arabes, à se joindre à nous samedi 17 juin pour affirmer l’exigence de sa libération.

15 June, Athens: Anti War, Anti-Imperialist Demonstration – No Netanyahu! Not In My Name

13 June 2017

Thursday, 15 June
7:00 pm
March from Israeli Embassy to the Foreign Ministry
Athens, Greece
More info: https://diktiospartakos.blogspot.be/2017/06/not-in-my-name.html?m=1

On 15 June, Israeli prime minister Netanyahu is scheduled to visit Thessaloniki for a tripartite conference of Greece, Cyprus and Israel. This is an attempt to divide up the transfer of natural gas to Europe, promote military cooperation in the Mediterranean and NATO and the investments of the economic oligarchy in research, technology and tourism.

At the same time, Greece is a site for troop transfer to the “Noble Jump 2017” NATO military exercises in Romania. It is clear that there is no benefit to the people of these countries from these relations and agreements, or for the Palestinian people. This meeting serves the aspirations of those who wish to profit from energy reserves in the Mediterranean for the benefit of economic oligarchs, and for the strengthening of military cooperation….

The SYRIZA-ANEL government is choosing a dangerous road of involvement in imperialist conflicts through its continual cooperation with the Israeli government and that of Sisi in Egypt. The policy choice of agreements, closer cooperation, arms trade and joint military exercises with Israel as well as with Egypt place it in cooperation with the siege on the Gaza Strip. Israel’s Zionist policy of oppression and plundering the Palestinian people includes a war for natural resources and water….We demand the end of any involvement of our country, Greece, in these agreements and interventions with Israel and NATO, which only bring more wars, poverty, uprooting ad exile. The Greek SYRIZA-ANEL government, like its predecessors, is entirely responsible for supporting NATO bases and participation in imperialist military operations and implementing anti-people EU policies.

We call:

NO! to US-NATO-EU bases
NO! to the dangerous politics of the government and EU
Solidarity with the Palestinian people!
Solidarity with Refugees and Friendship of Peoples!
No to Imperialist Wars and Invasions! No to the regressive alliance between Greece, Israel and the USA!

Call from Anti-War, Anti-Racist Organizations and Unions and Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network

Palestine contingent joins thousands of New Yorkers in celebrating Oscar López Rivera at Puerto Rican Day Parade

13 June 2017

Palestinians and supporters of Palestine marched in New York City on Sunday, 11 June as part of the Puerto Rican Day Parade, celebrating the release of long-time Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar López Rivera from U.S. jails and supporting the Puerto Rican people’s struggle.

A number of Palestinian and Palestine solidarity activists were invited to join the National Boricua Human Rights Network contingent surrounding López Rivera’s float. The invitation came through Chicago Boricua organizers, where Palestinian organizers, including long-time community leader and former Palestinian prisoner Rasmea Odeh, were actively involved in welcoming López Rivera upon his release.

Palestine organizers in New York have a long history of working together with Puerto Rican organizers; in the early 2000s, Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition, marched jointly in the parade with the Vieques Support Coalition. “This year we had the honor of marching again at the invitation of the Boricua Human Rights Network in Chicago and Oscar López Rivera – their invitation was a strong show of solidarity with the Palestinian struggle,” said Suzanne Adely of the US Palestinian Community Network.

On 11 June, activists from a number of organizations, including the US Palestinian Community Network, NYC Students for Justice in Palestine, Al-Awda NY, Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, Palestinian Youth Movement and Existence is Resistance joined the contingent or other participation points in the Puerto Rican Day parade, supporting the Puerto Rican struggle and expressing their warm welcome to López Rivera. Joe Catron of Samidoun participated in the contingent, which carried Palestinian and Puerto Rican flags and chanted for liberation from colonialism from Puerto Rico to Palestine.

Former U.S. political prisoners like Laura Whitehorn and Susan Rosenberg also joined in the march along with Johanna Fernandez, history professor and coordinator of Educators for Mumia Abu-Jamal, and activists Dequi Kioni-Sadiki and Susie Day in support of López Rivera and the Puerto Rican people.

Participants and organizers with Existence is Resistance and other organizations carried banners and signs highlighting the struggle for freedom for all political prisoners, from the U.S. to Palestine.

The parade had come under sharp attack by politicians and corporate sponsors due to its highlighting of López Rivera, the Puerto Rican revolutionary and independence struggler whose sentence was commuted by President Obama shortly before leaving office. Given the attacks on the parade and López Rivera’s participation, the parade took on a strong anti-colonial tone.

Writing in Mondoweiss, Amith Gupta highlighted the hypocrisy and colonial tone of these politicians’ condemnations, noting “the demonization of Oscar Lopez Rivera on the one hand, and the mirroring, unbridled whitewash of Zionism on the other, tell the story of the limits of liberalism in New York. While Cuomo felt comfortable lecturing the Puerto Ricans among his constituents when they chose to celebrate someone widely viewed as a hero, he had no qualms celebrating the unbridled state violence and regime of apartheid that Israel has carried out against the Palestinian people in violation of even the lowest standards of international humanitarian law.”

Many participants in the parade also drew attention to the current austerity regime being imposed on the Puerto Rican people, vowing that “Puerto Rico is not for sale!” and vowing to resist colonial agendas of austerity.

Participants in the Palestine contingent shared their photos and videos of the occasion:

Samidoun reiterates our deepest admiration for the sacrifice and struggle of Oscar López Rivera and the Puerto Rican people over decades behind bars and centuries of colonialism. Oscar López Rivera continued to struggle without ever conceding on his principles and clarity of vision. He is an international figure and symbol of anti-colonial struggle, and a living leader and example for strugglers for justice. On this occasion, we also urge the immediate release of all political prisoners in U.S. prisons, including the prisoners of the Black Liberation movement, Puerto Rican prisoner Ana Belen Montes, Native and Indigenous movements, and Palestinian strugglers like the Holy Land Five. We express our full solidarity with the continuing struggle of the Puerto Rican people for justice and liberation and against colonialism and its imposed austerity. From Puerto Rico to Palestine, the people are struggling to defeat colonialism and free all political prisoners!

Protests planned to free Nassar Jaradat as PA political arrests continue

13 June 2017

Friends and comrades of Nassar Jaradat, the Palestinian student and youth activist detained by the Palestinian Authority, are planning to rally today, Tuesday, 13 June, in Ramallah, calling for his immediate release. Jaradat, a former political prisoner in Israeli jails, was seized by Palestinian Authority security forces on 8 June following a critical Facebook post he made about PA official Jibril Rajoub‘s comments on Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem holy sites.

The protest in Ramallah will take place in Manara Square at 4:00 pm. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network has urged the release of Jaradat, and has written letters to Palestinian embassies internationally as well as international parliamentarians to urge his immediate release and an end to Palestinian Authority “security coordination” with the Israeli occupation.

His friends and comrades are maintaining a Facebook page and social media campaign for his release using the hashtags #FreeNassar and #FreeNassarJaradat.

The Union of Palestinian Communities and Organizations in Europe issued a letter on Monday, 12 June to progressive political organizations and hundreds of Members of European Parliament, urging supporters of Palestine to call for Jaradat’s release. “At a time when the Israeli occupation launches daily arrest campaigns against Palestinian cadres and Palestinians resisting the occupation, the Palestinian Authority Preventive Security Service arrested youth activist Nassar Jaradat in Ramallah, confiscating his right to freedom of expression,” said Dr. Fawzi Ismail, president of the Union.

Leftist Palestinian political party, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, also demanded Jaradat’s release and that of all political detainees in PA prisons. “The Authority should be holding accountable and arresting those who disregard and undermine the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people, not those who criticize the policy of security coordination and the Palestinian Authority’s political direction and leadership,” said the PFLP.

Jaradat’s case has again focused attention on ongoing political arrests by the Palestinian Authority, especially in the context of security coordination with the Israeli occupation. Protests against security coordination have mounted especially since 6 March, when Palestinian youth organizer and former PA political prisoner Basil al-Araj was assassinated by Israeli occupation forces in a home in Ramallah where he was staying after being pursued by occupation forces since his release by the PA. His original arrest and that of his comrades had been trumpeted by PA officials, including PA President Mahmoud Abbas, as a victory of security coordination.

Meanwhile, on Monday, 12 June, the Hamas movement also issued a statement on security coordination and PA political detention. Two Palestinians, Muath al-Khatib and a lawyer, Ibrahim Abu Salim, were detained in the town of Rantis by Palestinian Authority security forces in pre-dawn raids timed to coincide with another raid by Israeli occupation forces, who arrested two more Palestinians. Meanwhile, Izzadine Freihat was once again detained, only two months after his last release from PA prison, as was his father. Freihat, a university student, went on hunger strike after 40 days of his previous detention in PA prison.

The family of Fayez Nafez also spoke to Quds News, saying that PA intelligence services have repeatedly raided their home without stating a reason and have broken the main gate and damaged their belongings and caused a great deal of fear with their late-night raids, demanding that the security forces stop harassing their son.

PA security services have also become involved in disputes inside the Fateh movement; on Monday, 12 June, Quds News reported that PA Preventive Security forces invaded the office of Palestinian Legislative Council member Alaa Yaghi, confiscating staff computers, cell phones and belongings, reportedly in violation of Palestinian law. Yaghi is a Fateh member of the PLC who is reported to be close to Mohammed Dahlan, Fateh rival of PA President Mahmoud Abbas.

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network denounces the arrest of Nassar Jaradat and demands his immediate release and that of fellow Palestinian political detainees in PA prisons. We join our voices with Palestinian organizations and organizers demanding an end to Palestinian Authority security coordination with the Israeli occupation. It is very important for Palestinian communities in exile and international supporters of the Palestinian people and Palestinian cause to make their voices heard to the PA to demand the release of Nassar Jaradat and an end to security coordination and political detention.

Take Action!

1. Email the Palestinian Embassy or PLO Mission in your country. Click here for a list of contact information. Make it clear that Palestinians around the world and international activists stand together to confront occupation, end security coordination, and free Nassar Jaradat and fellow political detainees.

2. Call the Palestinian Embassy or PLO Mission. This is a case where phone calls can make a real difference! Palestinians and internationals around the world can raise their voice and demand action. Phone numbers for some missions follow: PLO Delegation in Washington, DC: 202-974-6360. Palestinian Mission to the UN: 212-288-8500. Palestinian General Delegation in Ottawa, Canada: 613-736-0053. Palestinian Mission UK: +44 (0)20 8563 0008. More may be found here!

3. Join social media actions to #FreeNassarJaradat. Friends, family and supporters of Nassar Jaradat have launched a facebook page to support his case and are encouraging Twitter and Facebook users to share photos of Nassar, the Facebook page and other posts about him with the hashtags #FreeNassar and #FreeNassarJaradat.

23 Palestinians seized in past two days by occupation forces including former Minister of Prisoners

13 June 2017

Over the past two days, over 23 Palestinians have been seized by Israeli occupation forces, including a number of re-arrested former prisoners, student leaders and former Palestinian Authority minister of prisoners Wasfi Kabha. Kabha was seized by Israeli occupation forces who invaded his Jenin home in a pre-dawn raid on Monday, 12 June. The seizure came only 50 days after he was last released from Israeli occupation prisons after a year of imprisonment.

Kabha, 58, served as Minister of Prisoners in the national unity government that led the PA in 2006 following the election of Ismail Haniyeh as prime minister. He has spent over 12 years in prison over various periods of arrest including multiple periods held in administrative detention without charge or trial.

Video of his seizure by occupation forces:

Meanwhile, a special force from the occupation army arrested the representative of the Islamic Bloc on Birzeit University’s student council, Yasser Abu Armeleh, from the town of Beit Hanina, north of Jerusalem on Sunday, 11 June. There are reportedly approximately 60 Birzeit students imprisoned by the Israeli occupation, many for their involvement in student politics and activism.

Throughout the West Bank and Jerusalem, 13 more Palestinians were seized, including two teenagers from Nablus, Mohammed Amjad Oweis, 17, and Mustafa Mansour Oweis, 16. In Jerusalem, occupation forces seized five people: Majd Sa’ada, Wesam Awri, Adnan al-Rajabi, Khader al-Ajlouni and Yahya al-Ajlouni, while in al-Khalil, they seized Mohammed Yousef Baher, Mohammed Issa Baher, Amjad Azzam Abu Sneineh and an unnamed fourth persion. In the town of Rantis near Ramallah, Saeb Abu Salim and Suheib al-Sheikh were seized by occupation forces in late-night raids.

In the early morning hours of Tuesday, 13 June, Israeli occupation forces raided the homes of former prisoners Fadi al-Amouri, 41, and Adnan Khader al-Husri in Nour Shams refugee camp near Tulkarem, seizing them. In the town of Tarqumia near al-Khalil, Israeli occupation forces seized Nizam Qaqour after storming his house; youth in the village attempted to defend him and the occupation forces fired tear gas and sound bombs on them. At least four more Palestinians were seized by Israeli occupation forces, including Mohammed Shahwa in Jalazoun refugee camp, the village of Yatta and elsewhere. Manal Abu Ali from Yatta was seized near the Ibrahimi Mosque late Monday night and accused of possessing a knife. Muath Shyoukhi and Mansour Shyoukhi, both from Silwan in Jerusalem, were also seized in raids by Israeli occupation forces.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, 11 June, former prisoner and long-term hunger striker, Palestinian lawyer Muhammad Allan, was brought before an Israeli military court. Allan, 33, was seized by Israeli occupation forces on 8 June after they raided his home; he was held for years without charge or trial under administrative detention before winning his freedom in June 2015 after a 66-day hunger strike.

There are currently over 6,200 Palestinian political prisoners held in Israeli occupation jails, including nearly 500 held without charge or trial under administrative detention. For Palestinians, violent overnight raids by Israeli occupation forces are a constant fact, with dozens of these raids taking place nightly, including violent night raids for the arrest of children.

16 June, NYC: Protest to free administrative detainees and #StopHP

11 June 2017

Friday, 16 June
5:30 pm
Best Buy Union Square
52 E. 14th St, NYC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/804539986368167/

Three prominent Palestinian activists have been ordered to additional periods of administrative detention. Palestinian journalist Hasan Safadi, youth organizer Hassan Karajah and leftist community leader Rami Fadayel, all of Ramallah, were ordered to imprisonment without charge or trial by Israeli military courts.

Fadayel, 37, has been imprisoned for 18 months under administrative detention. This is the fourth time the order against him has been renewed. He has spent over seven years in total in Israeli prisons and was ordered to another four months of imprisonment without charge or trial. He was hit with another four-month detention order on Wednesday, June 7.

Meanwhile, Hasan Safadi, a Palestinian journalist and the Arabic media coordinator of Addameer Prisoner Support & Human Rights Association was also ordered on June 8, 2017 to another six months in administrative detention by an Israeli occupation military court. He had been scheduled for release on June 8, but was instead hit with another arbitrary detention renewal.

Hassan Karajah, a prominent youth activist with the StopTheWall.orgCampaign and a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movementactivist, was seized by Israeli occupation forces on July 12, 2016 at a military checkpoint west of Ramallah. He has been held under administrative detention without charge or trial since that time. His detention was also renewed on June 7, 2017 for the third time for a four-month period.

These orders came after the Ofer military court confirmed even more administrative detention orders on Wednesday, July 7.

Demand Israel release Safadi, Karajah and Fadayel, 487 other administrative detainees and all 6,200 Palestinian political prisoners, and that Hewlett Packard companies end their contracts with Israeli prisons and detention centers, occupation and security forces, and checkpoints and settlements.

Build a growing international campaign to boycott HP over its support for Israeli crimes.

Support the Palestinian people, the Palestinian prisoners, the Palestinian Resistance, and the liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea.

New York City protest calls to free Palestinian political prisoners and #StopHP

10 June 2017

New York City activists took to the streets once more on Friday, 9 June to demand justice and freedom for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Organized by Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, demonstrators gathered outside the Best Buy electronics store in New York’s Union Square.

Best Buy is a large vendor of Hewlett-Packard (HP) consumer electronics, including printers, ink, laptops, tablets and other devices and supplies. HP is subject to a global boycott campaign because HP Enterprise contracts with multiple Israeli occupation entities, playing a direct role in providing IT and infrastructure support to Israeli occupation, imprisonment, colonization and apartheid.

HP provides services to Israeli prisons and detention centers, military and security forces, checkpoint and ID systems, among other occupation entities. This means that HP profits directly from developing and maintaining the infrastructure of the oppression, dispossession and colonization of the people and land of Palestine.

Participants in the demonstration carried signs, chanted and distributed information to passers-by about HP’s complicity in Israeli occupation and apartheid. They received interested and positive feedback from many passers-by on the street.

Demonstrators also distributed information about Palestinian political prisoners. There are currently over 6,300 Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails, including over 300 children and 500 held without charge or trial under so-called “administrative detention.”

A security guard from Best Buy attempted to demand that the demonstrators leave the front of the store and move across the street, threatening to call the police on the protesters despite their legal right to protest on the sidewalk.

One participant in the demonstration was a veteran Filpina activist, who recalled the long history of cooperation and joint struggle between Filipino and Palestinian organizers in New York City. While today, organizations like Samidoun, BAYAN USA, Anakbayan, NYC Students for Justice in Palestine and the Palestinian Youth Movement come together in the International League of People’s Struggle, in the 1960s and 1970s, Filipino and Palestinian activists in New York City would also regularly attend each other’s events.

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network protests weekly outside the Best Buy as part of the international #StopHP campaign and in support of Palestinian political prisoners’ struggle for freedom. All supporters of justice in Palestine are invited to attend the weekly Friday protests in New York City and demand freedom for Palestinian prisoners, the Palestinian people and Palestinian land.

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