On my mind...

What's on my mind? On my mind is the Norwegian girl, who came to Dheishe the other day, explaining that in Norway people don't consider the residents of Palestinian refugee camps to be refugees - among other reasons because they CAN leave the camps (!) and travel around the West Bank freely (literal comment: that's great!). Ah and there is no need to continue living in the camps, people can just move outside the camp and live anywhere in the West Bank - they should accept the past as past and continue to live their life. I had a feeling she was disappointed cause she was expecting starving childen behind barbed wire in a slum like setting. Since that wasn't the case, she was bewildered, why the native don't resign to their fate - surely Palestianians are a more domesticized breed then Norwegians and don't really need freedom of speach, travel, full citizenship and all other luxurious nonsense...Also now that they are socialized under occupation and conditioned to expect the IOF and checkpoints/ and or settlements and price tagging settlers at every school corner, surely they wouldn't be able to cope with more space to move. Those indigenous people most certainly are different from the Norwegian Wiking kind - those probably would have remembered the good old days rather quickly and plundered and burned the encampments of the invadors within a few weeks...skol!
So, dear ignorant world, please do call me emotional and biased, because I am. I impertinently and inveterately believe in the UNIVERSAL nature of human rights. Especially when I remember how we ranted about the GDR not granting their citizens the right to travel anywhere they chose, when they shot people at the borders, when they didn't have free elections, when they were not like us...now, while Israel is denying the Palestinian citizens the right to get rid of the occupation and the PA, when the IOF is shooting people in civil demonstrations, when soldiers became a natural part of children's way to school, when Palestinians have no right whatsoever to defend their homes, their people, their land...now, we sit and watch and justify that these wild beasts are so unpredictable, the simply do not leave the world a choice but to imprison them...unlike in the GDR, where the government was installed by some evil, evil force called UDSSR and where the citizens needed to be freed and socialized in "the right way", the Palestinians are in this position because they do not deserve better. After all, we give them food and water and if they are very very nice, sometimes even some medical treatment in Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem - unless they are so stupid to die before or can't afford body guards...And really, even that is not so bad as a dead Palestinian is a free Palestinian and the best is: even if he/she isn't, they can't tell anyone...

Addameer on prisoners' movement and hungerstrike

03.11.2011

Public announcement by Addameer

For joining in the hunger strike, which is approaching the 7th day:

Punishment, isolation, interdiction of advocats’

The movement of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails has started a hunger strike 6 days ago, after the Israeli prison administration had decreased the free space of prisoners significantly. The measures were taken as part of a discriminating media campaign launched by the Israeli government, misleading public international opinion. This campaign was the introduction to a process of vengeful punishments towards the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails in order to deprive them of their most basic rights.

The president of the occupying government was quoted on June 23rd 2011 saying, that „ the times of privilege for the terrorists in prison are over“. Addameer notes that since then the Israeli prisons administration implemented a series of actions which turned the situation in the prisons upside down. Examples for these actions are: the prevention of education, the prohibition to bring books and clothes into the prison, increasing isolation treatment of prisoners, introducing monetary penalties of rather large amounts, giving the impression of a revenge treatment, constraining prisoners during lawyer consultation, decreasing the amount of vegetables in prisoners nutrition from 3,5 kg to 1,7kg, preventing visits among inmates of cells and sections in the prison in addition to the continuous isolation treatment 20 prisoners are currently suffering from and preventing a few prisoners from receiving family visits. Among these prisoners is Ahmed Sa’adat, the general secretary of the PFLP and the leaders of Hamas, Ibrahim Hamed, Abbas Assayed, Mahmud Issa, Abdullah Barghouti. At the same time, 2000 Palestinian prisoners have been deprived from their right to family visits and phone calls continuously for the last five years. 700 among these prisoners are from the Gaza strip. Since last June attacks on prisoners by special forces („Nachschon“ and „Drur“) in cells and sections have been witnessed, something which was unknown before. The attacks happened in the late evening hours. During the attacks these special forces used extreme violence against the prisoners, resulting in severe physical injuries. In addition, the prisons administration decreased the duration of family visits from the usual 45mins biweekly to 30 mins once a month. These are the reasons, which lead to the hunger strike, launched by the prisoners’ movement on the 27th of October. This is the last resource to enforce the rights of male and female prisoners, which had been achieved due to great sacrifices in the past.

In the beginning, the PFLP prisoners announced the start of the open hunger strike, carrying the demands of the prisoners’ movement on their shoulders. In an agreement of all political parties, it has been decided that the remaining parties will join in the hungerstrike on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. In case demands would not be met, all political parties intented to participate in the hunger strike indefinitely. This became necessary in the following days. The leaders of the prisoners’ movement increased the measures taken in the hunger strike step by step, excluding sick prisoners in oder to provide them with adequate nutrition and medication.

The Israeli prisons administration responded by isolating dozens of prisoners, including for female prisoners in isolation treatment. At times the prisoners were isolated in tiny cells and photographed with plates of food in front of them. It so happened to inmate Ahmad Abu Al Saud in Rimon prison. The prisoners’ administration also prevented lawyers to visit the inmates on strike. This morning, the Nafha prison administration prevented Addameers lawyer to consult with their clients Ahmad Sa’adat and Jamal Abu Alhyjaa, even though permission was granted the previous day.

Parallely the administration continued the transfer of prisoners in between prisons in order to increase pressure and deconstruct organisational structures of the strike.

Addameer considers the prisoners’ movement demands to be legitimate. Since the beginning of July 2011, legal and human rights associations as well as the Ministry for Prisoners has been trying to raise attention to the aggravation of the situation inside Israeli jails, which occurred due to the oppressive measures implemented upon Palestinian prisoners by the Israeli prison administrations.

Addammeer believes that the protection of prisoners and the success of the prisoners movement campaigns demands and deserves joint efforts of all legal, political and human rights organisations to force the occupying government into treating the inmates according to international law, especially focussing on the 3rd and 4th paragraphs of the Geneva conventions.

In conclusion, Addameer demands:

- To acknowledge the necessity of acceleration and construction of a unified, clear Palestinian strategy, including the mobilisation of a Palestinian popular movement in order to support the prisoners’ demands and freedom through participation in the activities which have been put in place by the popular national associations.

- The international organisations working in the occupied Palestinian territories are asked to attend to their legal responsibilities towards the prisoners’ rights.

- The International Red Cross should break the silence and expose the Israeli excesses in violating the rights of Palestinian prisoners and demand Israeli authorities to respect the ICRC instead of subjecting the organisation to oppressive measures

- The Palestinian national movement should move the prisoners’ rights, freedom and the current hunger strike to the top of the priority list.

- The prisoners’ movement to hold on to their demands and stay unified

Addameer Berichterstattung zum aktuellen Hungerstreik

The Adameer prisonner’s support and human right association is following the prisoners prostets and the steps taken in the ongoing hunger strike.

A group of prisoners has been transferred by the prison administration, which also prevented them from consulting their lawyers

5th October 2011

An Addameer lawyer who was able to visit Askalan prison yesterday, reported that the prison administration prevented him from meeting the prisoners A'ahed Abu Gholme and Hasan Abu Salama on the excuse that both of them are participating in the hunger strike and are therefore forbidden to have visitors. However, he was allowed to visit Nasser al Naji who mentioned that the prison guards attacked section 5 as well as cells 21 and 22 in Askalan prison the previous day, resulting in a confrontation with the prisoners.

The prisoners state adamently that rubber bullets had been fired at them by the guards. In addition, prisoners have been injured by gas used on them by the prison guards during the attack. The prisoner Nasser added that the prison guards attacked and beat the prisoner Mansour, who is also participating in the strike.

A source in the prison reported that a group of PFLP prisoners who are under hunger strike were moved from al Anqab prison to Oaly Qidal prison. Namely mentioned were the prisoners Thaer Waleed, Anas al_Shantee, Mahmoud Zahran, Nimer Jaber, Abdul Naser Quzmar and Shadi Jarrar.

In Rimon prison a relative of the prisoner Assan Fataftar was prevented from visiting due to his participation in the hunger strike. In Jelbour prison the prisoner Mourless Boourjhel had been given notice that he will be moved from this prison.

The rest of the prisoners in Section 2 and 4 of Jerusalem prison and other Arab Israeli prisoners will join the open hunger strike as well.

GERMAN

Die Addameer Vereinigung für Menschenrechte und Interessen von Gefangenen verfolgt die Proteste und die Entwicklung des andauernden Hungerstreiks.

Eine Gruppe von Gefangenen wurde von der Gefängnisverwaltung verlegt und an der Wahrnehmung von Anwaltsbesuchen gehindert.

5. Oktober 2011-10-06

Ein Anwalt der Vereinigung Addameer, dem es am gestrigen Tag gelang, das Gefängnis von Askalon zu besuchen, berichtete dass die Gefängnisverwaltung ihn daran hinderte die Gefangenen A’ahed Abu Gholme und Hasan Abu Salama zu besuchen. Als Begründung wurde deren Beteiligung am Hungerstreik der Gefangenen genannt. Er war jedoch in der Lage, den Gefangenen Nasser al Naji zu besuchen, der in über einen gewaltsamen Angriff der Gefängniswärter auf sie Sektion 5, sowie die Zellen 21 und 22 im Gefängnis von Askalan informierte. Das Resultat des Angriffs war eine offene Konfrontation mit den Gefangenen.

Die Gefangenen berichten überzeugend vom Gebrauch von Hartgummigeschossen, die von Gefängnispersonal auf Gefangene abgefeuert wurden. Zusätzlich wurden einige Gefangene durch den Einsatz von bisher unbekanntem Gas durch die Wärter verletzt. Der Gefangene Nasser fügte hinzu, dass der Gefangene Mansour, der ebenfalls am Streik teilnimmt, von Gefängnispersonal angegriffen und geschlagen wurde.

Eine Quelle im selben Gefängnis informierte Addameer dass eine Gruppe von Gefangenen, die der Partei PFLP angehört von Al Anqab in das Gefängnis in Oaly Qidal verlegt wurde. Namentlich genannt wurden die Gefangenen Thaer Waleed, Anas al_Shantee, Mahmoud Zahran, Nimer Jaber, Abdul Naser Quzmar und Shadi Jarrar.

Im Gefängnis von Rimon wurde ein Verwandter am Besuch des Gefangenen Assan Fataftar gehindert aufgrund dessen Teilnahme am Hungerstreik.

Im Gefängnis von Jelfour wurde der Gefangene Mourless Boourjehk von seiner bevorstehenden Verlegung informiert.

Die verbleibenden Gefangenen der Sektionen 2 und 4 im Gefängnis von Jerusalem kündigten ihre Teilnahme am Hungerstreik an, ebenso wie andere arabisch – israelische Inhaftierte.

Addameer reports on ongoing hunger strike of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons

September 29th, 2011

ADDAMEER Prisoners` Support and Human Rights Association

The association follows the protest of prisoners und the new gradual developments of the hunger strike. The punishment which has been imposed on the prisoners in hunger strike

The association reports it’s inside knowledge on the new requests and the hunger strike with the prisoners have implemented in Israeli prisons in order to achieve their goals.

The prison of Ishel, has in response and in attempting to repress the mouvement, transferred the prisoner Ahmad Abu Assououd Anani to isolation treatment in Rimoun prison. The administration also applied the following measures of punishment to the prisoners of Ishel as a result of the ongoing hunger strike:

- prohibition of buying goods in the cafeteria

- shortening of daily walks in the prison yard

- prevention of family visits: for each day of participation in the hunger strike, family visits will be postponed for another month

- in addition, monetary penalties have been imposed of the prisoners participating in the strike

In Nafha prison, the entire prisoners community has announced to join in the strike, as well as 10 prisoners from various prisions, who are members of the Jihad Islamic Movement.

The leader of the Fatah members in prison, Nasser Owaiz, also joined the movement.

The staff of Addameer also knew that on September 30th another step in the hungerstrike will be reached. Prisoners will start refusing to comply with the daily routing of being counted in the morning as well as reject to wear the prisoners’ uniform.

The prisoners report that the prison administration searched all cells of the strikers and removed all electric devices. In addition the guards seperated the prisoners on strike and placed them in separate cells.

So much for the economical effects of the occupation...

Study: Occupation costs Palestinian economy $7 billion

Run4Silwan 19th of September 2011

On Monday, September 19, a run took place from Al-Quds University in Abu-Dis, through the Zeitoun checkpoint, and finished in Wadi Hilweh in Silwan.

The run was promoting:
- peace
- awareness raising to the situation in Palestine
- protest against the violation of children’s rights in Silwan
- denounce the wall that separates people (and runners)
- sports and fitness

Starting the run along the wall
in Abu Dis,

the wall
seemed to be endless.
However, spirits remained unbroken
and in between all the grey,
ever so charming spectators crossed the way.
At Zeitun Checkpoint,
the kids from Silwan joined the runners, proudly carrying flags of Silwan,
where they were celebrated when returning home.

The temporary joy of these kids was definitely worth it. All the more we are saddened that the continuous efforts to increase the quality of life for the children are Silwan is brutally destroyed by the daily arrests of children by the IDF in East Jerusalem.


http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=423660

Avaaz explains the Situation in 3D

Middle East peace -- the real story

Don't agree totally with the addiction to the two state solution and Obama, but it's a brilliant peace of work.