Hanegbi: Hunger strike will fail

[Gimel]

1500 Palestinian security prisoners at the Shikma, Nafha and Eshel prisons in the south have declared a hunger strike on Sunday morning when they refused to receive their breakfast meals.

Hisham Abdel-Razek, PA minister of prisoner affairs said the hunger strike was meant to "draw the Israeli public's attention and the world's conscience to the plight of their fellow men locked away in prisons in Israel."

"We in the Palestinian Authority are obliged to stand behind these prisoners, who are only asking for an improvement in their living conditions," Abdel-Razek told Israel Radio.

The strikers however did not refrain from consuming water. A Prisons Service official, quoted on Israel Radio, said that medics and doctors will be checking the prisoners' health conditions throughout the strike and force-feed them if necessary.

Continued..

They are asking for cell phones and visitors without searches and without partitions. HA HA HA!

[Djinn]

1. Given more than 1500

of them are imprisoned without charge under what is referred to as "administrative detention" access to phone calls (btw they are not asking for "cell phones" - not sure whether you mean mobile phones or phones in cells but either way it's wrong) is not that outrageous.

They are also not asking for an end to ALL strip searches just routine ones - doubt very much that Israeli prisoners' visitors are ROUTINELY strip searched. Other requests are for insecticide (gee wonder why that's needed in the sanitary Israeli prisons) and the release of minors and improved ventiliation.

Dishonest to make out non of their demands are legitimate Gimel

[Gimel]

2. But I didn't say

that none of their demands are legitimate. Of course they want to be able to have more freedom, and receive their guests in person without harassment. It's only natural.

Maybe some of their complaints ought to be followed up. Insecticide can be used as a weapon, however.

[Gimel]

3. Simultaneously

The "Shoebomber" in the US is suing for better prison conditions.

The events in the US influencing Israel or vice versa. The two have a destiny in common, if you get down to the reality of the age.

[Classical_Liberal]

4. Not everyone in the Prison is a terrorist though.

Some are rebels who fought soldiers only, and some are there for civil disobedience, and some are criminals of different kinds. I doubt many suicide bombers are there since most are dead. Some haven't been charged with anything and none of them were convicted by Juries of their peers or even their fellow Palestinians.

[Gimel]

5. In different prisons

The strikers are in a prison for security offenders.

[Djinn]

6. in democracies

you can not be considered an "offenders" unless you have been charged and found guilty. Admistrative detention (and the nightmaer in Gitmo too) are NOT democratic and have no place in "democratic" societies.