Why are Palestinian Prisoners on a Hunger Strike?

Like millions around the world I am becoming increasingly alarmed by the Palestinian Prisoners' Hunger Strike for "better conditions". As I continue to hear about the appalling sanitary conditions inside the prison, the arbitrary strip searches, beatings and torture of prisoners --I am distressed.

The story of Asma Abdul Razaq, a Palestinian woman editor highlights the current inequality in Israeli prisons. At a recent news conference, Asma related how she had spent almost a year in an Israeli detention center without trial and described her experience as "Hell." Asma told how she was arrested in her home in Ramallah when 20 Israeli soldiers raided her house. "They put me into a narrow cell after six hour of interrogation". She reported being tried "four times without a lawyer" and denied a translator as the court proceedings were in Hebrew.

Throughout her detention, Asma reported, "They tortured me with beatings and humiliations and threatening sexual assault." To make matters worse--Asma was not permitted to see her relatives for almost six months. Asma noted the conditions inside the prisons were deplorable: lack of general cleanliness and are "full of cockroaches and rats." The food was of "low quality and poorly cooked". When prisoners got sick they had to wait a long time before getting medical help. Prison windows were closed and cells were hot and humid. As a result, many prisoners suffered from various communicable diseases.

Asma was released last January on a prisoner exchange program. Her story reflects many of the 7,500 political prisoners that are currently held by Israel, 1,000 of whom are classified as "administrative detainees" and imprisoned without trial.

No issue symbolizes Israel's denial of freedom to Palestinians better than that of political prisoners. Palestinians have been subjected to the highest rate of incarceration in the world -- approximately 20 percent of the Palestinian population in the occupied Palestinian territories has, at one point, and have been arbitrarily detained or imprisoned by the Israeli occupation.

Almost 60,000 Palestinians have been arrested since the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza in 1967. During the first intifada from 1989-1992 some 40,000 were arrested and during the second intifada (2000) some 18,211 have been detained.

In the mid-2003, it was reported that 5,600 Palestinians were security inmates, 2,420 were serving sentences, and 2,650 were awaiting trial and 530 were administrative detainees.

Some Palestinians were just rounded up with others in mass arrests, others were charged with crimes and some are placed under administrative detention which means they are held without charge or trial.

The Palestinian prisoners are only requesting conditions they should be receiving under the Geneva Convention. Most want adequate living conditions (instead of unsanitary conditions with cockroaches and rats infested areas. All detainees complain about this); access to a phone to call connect their families, access to medical and hospital care if they are sick, an end to arbitrary strip searches, beatings and torture. They don't want to hear from an Israeli Minister say they can "starve to death" (what a jerk) nor do they want the smells from wardens' barbecue.

Children are not allowed family visits, the food is poor, prisoners are denied access to legal advice and they are regularly interrogated or beaten. (How dreadful) Most political prisoners are held in contravention of the Geneva Conventions. The Israeli Department of Justice has recommended that the Israeli Government recognize the law not only in theory but also in practice.

In solidarity with the prisoners and with the Committee for the Families of the 7,500 Palestinian Political Prisoners and Detainees in the West Bank, rallies are being held throughout the USA and Canada in major cities and college campuses. This injustice must end. Officials should work toward improving conditions for the detainees and release those prisoners being held without adequate charges.

Doris Cadigan, Massachusetts. Reader/writer of Axis of Logic, Natick, MA dcadigan01@aol.com