Palestinians Rally Around Prisoners On Hunger Strike
At least 1,500 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are on hunger strike in a growing protest movement that has captured the imagination of the Palestinian public. Daily demonstrations are taking place in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in solidarity with the hunger strikers.
The protest outside the West Bank's Ofer prison this past weekend is now familiar scene. For the past two weeks there have been daily rallies there, and across the West Bank. Some joke that holding the protests close to the prison makes it easy for Israeli authorities to arrest and detain them.
So far, 10 of the jailed hunger strikers have been hospitalized and two are listed in critical condition after maintaining their fast for 70 days. International organizations, including the U.N. and the European Union, have expressed concern that some hunger strikers are near death.
Bashir Idiab, head of the Palestinian prisoners' association in the West Bank, says that the hunger strikers have become a cause célèbre in Palestinian society because Israeli prison is a shared experience all Palestinians can relate to. "The imprisoned Palestinians occupy an important role in Palestinian society. We see them as political prisoners," Idiab says. Most Israelis aren't even aware of the issue, says Sarit Michaeli, spokeswoman for the Israeli human rights group Btselem.
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