Major Palestinian hunger strike

Over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners have begun an open-ended mass hunger strike on April 17th. The hunger strike is a move of protest against Israel's human rights violations in its prison system including the limiting of and prohibition of visitation rights, lack of humane living conditions as well as medical neglect that has killed Palestinian political prisoners in the past.

9 days into the strike, there are several solidarity tents strewn across the West Bank with some organized demonstrations and marches in Palestinian towns as well as others near the Israeli settlements and prisons which resulted in clashes. As the days moved on the number of political prisoners on hunger strike leaped from 1000 to over 1850 Palestinian prisoners.

These prisoners are led by Marwan Barghouthi, a popular leader among the Palestinian people. The hunger strikers themselves come from various political backgrounds, such as the Fateh movement to which Barghouthi is a member of as well as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Islamic Jihad as well as some members of Hamas.

The diversity of these different factions all revolve around basic human rights in Israeli prisons. Many of the people there are serving harsh sentences, others have been held for months without due process under what Tel Aviv calls "Administrative Detention". Administrative Detention, is a process in which Israel detains and arrests Palestinians without convicting them of any crime or justifiable reason.

The hunger strike is ongoing, with several of its leaders being held in solitary confinement, amid crackdowns and raids against the prison blocks that are participating in the strike.

Tomorrow, Thursday April 27th, 2017 will be a general strike across the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The strike will involve all political, social and economic organizations and businesses both public and private.

Stay tuned for further updates on the Palestinian mass hunger strike, also called affectionately by some as the battle of the empty stomachs.

a reply to: DarkPalSFO

While I dont condone human suffering.....prisoners you say.....hmmmmm I am currently eating a maple and pecan cake

Hope your enjoying your pie. Great way of show your solidarity. Not asking for it. But a little respect would be nice. a reply to: UpIsNowDown

a reply to: DarkPalSFO

a reply to: DarkPalSFO

I wish no ill will to you, but I certainly have more compassion for the actual victims of the crimes they must have committed to become prisoners, tell me which of the 1000 claims to be innocent and I will stand shoulder to shoulder....oh wait they are all claiming that

Having been A victim of crime I cant recall any solidarity from criminals for myself or family, maybe dont commit a crime and you wont do the time

originally posted by: UpIsNowDown
a reply to: DarkPalSFO

I wish no ill will to you, but I certainly have more compassion for the actual victims of the crimes they must have committed to become prisoners, tell me which of the 1000 claims to be innocent and I will stand shoulder to shoulder....oh wait they are all claiming that

Having been A victim of crime I cant recall any solidarity from criminals for myself or family, maybe dont commit a crime and you wont do the time

If you paid any attention whatsoever to what is actually happening in regards to Palestine and Israel, then the only crime they have committed is being born Palestinian, your comments are totally ignorant.

I would urge people to check out the BDS movement:

The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement works to end international support for Israel's oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with international law.

bdsmovement.net...

a reply to: UpIsNowDown I don't think you realize a lot of of the "prisoners are in administrative detention which means that have not even been found guilty of any crimes yet.

I completely understand your point of view and can see a hard time showing any sympathy towards criminals. But some of these people are actually innocent.

Hope that they hold to their strike until the end. And, perhaps it may spread!

"These people are treating us unfairly and hate us, so we're going to starve ourselves to force changes" doesn't seem like a sustainable model. If Israel truly hates these Palestinians, why would they care if they starved themselves to death? Seems like a self-correcting issue from the standpoint of anyone not sympathetic to the Palestinians.

a reply to: DarkPalSFO

Yes the hunger strike continues despite barbecues being lit outside the prison and the smell of cooking food to torture the prisoners, the like of which the prisoners never get. Even the military joined in for the feast. Lovely people Eh!



Note the fans,

originally posted by: smurfy
a reply to: DarkPalSFO

Yes the hunger strike continues despite barbecues being lit outside the prison and the smell of cooking food to torture the prisoners, the like of which the prisoners never get. Even the military joined in for the feast. Lovely people Eh!

Guards have to eat, ya?

a reply to: DarkPalSFO

And why should we care if a bunch of morons want to go hungry?

Prison is not supposed to be a happy place with rainbows and unicorns.

Well, well... maybe those hardliner Islamists should join in until they give in. But with all that beuracracy and all... could be months!
Good plan?

I wonder if they're in prison for throwing rocks at the illegal land 'settler's'?

I imagine it's pretty easy to become a prisoner in Palestine?

Nothing beats a muslim terroist problem that takes care of itself.

When jihadis starve themselves to death everybody wins.

I hope that I have not come across as flippant, but the ME is a hotbed of trouble and 1 mans freedom fighter is another mans terrorist, I have sympathy for anyone who is innocent in such difficult and trying times.

Lets hope they all starve quickly and they get their virgins post haste.
More of them should do the same.... in fact all of them

originally posted by: burdman30ott6
"These people are treating us unfairly and hate us, so we're going to starve ourselves to force changes" doesn't seem like a sustainable model. If Israel truly hates these Palestinians, why would they care if they starved themselves to death? Seems like a self-correcting issue from the standpoint of anyone not sympathetic to the Palestinians.

Well it can't be since they have released people who have been on hunger strike before and being imprisoned under the same detention law as the other 600 detainees held without charge or trial...that law being given as 'used with undisputable evidence that is not publicly divulgeable for security safety reasons'. So you use a simple layman logic that ...Oh yeah! they are guilty anyway, so just let them die, while the facts are that many of them are eventually released, while reviews are carried out every six months in camera headed by a judge. No one is allowed to see any findings..no see, no legal rebuttal. Thousands have been interned in say the last ten years but for how long? around 5% have been indicted. So you like to joke about a sick bunch of people who want to make barbecues and fan the smell of rich food toward the prison while state security joins in with the 'fun'
Some kid on the block you are...better still, just consider yourself lucky as I do.

a reply to: smurfy

Not all nations operate under the same set of laws our Constitution identifies for the USA. If Israel's laws permit closed courts, imprisonment without immediate charges, and producing food smells for those choosing to starve themselves, what business is it of mine? Their country, their state, their laws... que sera sera.

As I said, it is a self correcting "problem..." The inmates will either go until their hunger takes over and they choose to eat again or, if they're well disciplined, they'll see it through to the end. Again, they're making a choice themselves, not real sure why it is anyone else's concern.

originally posted by: burdman30ott6
a reply to: smurfy

Not all nations operate under the same set of laws our Constitution identifies for the USA. If Israel's laws permit closed courts, imprisonment without immediate charges, and producing food smells for those choosing to starve themselves, what business is it of mine? Their country, their state, their laws... que sera sera.

As I said, it is a self correcting "problem..." The inmates will either go until their hunger takes over and they choose to eat again or, if they're well disciplined, they'll see it through to the end. Again, they're making a choice themselves, not real sure why it is anyone else's concern.

You were not so diplomatic as that in your first reply to me though...and as I pointed out, it's not self correcting either.