Posted on 08/16/2004 3:22:04 PM PDT by johnfrink
Israel declared psychological war on hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners today, saying it would barbecue meat outside their cells to try to break their spirit.
The 1,700 inmates, seen by Palestinians as symbols of resistance to Israeli occupation, want wardens to stop strip searches, allow more frequent family visits, improve sanitary conditions and install public telephones, supporters said.
But Israeli officials call the protest launched Sunday a ploy by the prisoners to secure easier communication with militant groups waging an almost 4-year-old uprising, and have vowed to fight their liquids-only fast.
The Prisons Service said it would draw on tactics used in hunger strikes by jailed Northern Irish militants in the 1970s and 1980s, such as withholding basic amenities.
"Among the various methods we plan to employ is holding barbecues outside the walls of the affected prisons," a Prisons Service spokesman said.
Israeli human rights group B'Tselem says about 7,000 Palestinians, excluding common criminals, are being held in Israeli civilian prisons or military jails.
About half are either being detained without charge or until the end of criminal proceedings against them. The other half have been convicted of security-related offenses.
Recent sweeps for militants in the West Bank and Gaza have swollen the prisoners' ranks.
"We declare, in the name of God, our national decision to launch an open hunger strike," the Palestinian Prisoners Society said in a statement. It accused Israel of "robbing us of all our rights, treading on our dignity and treating us like animals."
In Gaza, about 3,000 Palestinians held a rally in support of the hunger strikers. Khaled al-Batsh, a senior leader of the militant Islamic Jihad group, said gunmen should kidnap "Zionist soldiers and settlers to be swapped for our prisoners."
Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian during a confrontation with stone throwers in the West Bank city of Nablus, witnesses said. The army had no immediate comment.
Israeli helicopters hit a rocket crew in the Gaza town of Beit Hanoun overnight, military sources said. But locals said two Palestinians killed in the missile strike had no militant links.
The hunger strike was praised by Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, himself a virtual prisoner who has been confined to his West Bank compound by Israeli forces for 2 1/2 years.
"The president ... hailed our heroes in Israeli jails for being steadfast," a Palestinian government statement said.
Issa Qaraqe, a prisoners' rights activist in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, has said the hunger strike would spread from Israel's main prisons to military detention camps.
Today, the Palestinian government called on its people to hold a one-day solidarity fast Wednesday.
But Israelis remained largely unmoved by the threat of escalation by the prisoners, many of whom openly identify with Islamic groups sworn to the Jewish state's destruction.
"As far as I'm concerned they can strike for a day, a month, until death. We will ward off this strike and it will be as if it never happened," Security Minister Tzahi Hanegbi said.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie told reporters freedom for Palestinian prisoners must be "the main issue" in achieving any peace settlement with Israel.
Oh man, the DUers are gonna have conniption fits when they hear about this!!!!
LOL
Mmmmm, bar-b-que...gotta run and fire up the grill. No silly muhammadans to tease though...
BBQ spec-ops ping!
Multiple threads of FR.
Now, all we have to do is get the Iraqis to pump sleeping gas into that Mosque (like they did in Goldfinger) nab all the bad guys, and order will be restored.
Like the BBQ idea...effective and relatively easy.
They ought to do it every day and then eat in front of them.
If you happen to be a member of the religion of peace and you starve to death do you get really 72 really skinny virgins?
Excellent tag line GM!
I wish this wasn't an election year, with Dims & the media all ready to pounce on every word said, or W could raise the bar a bit, himself. (...you gotta be safely IN the White House to make those kinda statements, though...)
I'm afraid to ask what soylent brown is made of...
I can't say, but it is in mass quantities in the Middle East these days it seems.
There in a minor enclave of another type in San Francisco as well.
"Hey, Abdul -- I'm going to give up and finally eat."
...moments later...
"Why, this is delicious! Pass me some more of that slaw!"
"What kind of meat is this anyway?"
They should hire Hooters to cater the BBQ... that'll screw with their minds. Maybe get some fake imam to tell them they don't get any virgins in paradise if they starve themselves to death.
Is this a Geneva Convention violation?
I love the Israelis... let's send em some slaw and beans to go with it....
"As far as I'm concerned they can strike for a day, a month, until death. We will ward off this strike and it will be as if it never happened,"
To survive for a month would require the physique of M. Moore. Most strikers are [probably] thinner, thus will expire sooner.
The approach though is good: ignore the strike (do not evan bother to ward it off), and if they want to starve - exhibit deeply humanistic respect for such personal desires - and let them.
This reminds me of something my softball team did years ago when we played the local AA chapter. |
I won't elaborate since I don't want to offend any recovering alcoholics.
I love this!
The juices will be flowing in their mouths, I hope!
It even makes me hungry, just thing about it!
"they don't get any virgins in paradise if they starve themselves to death."
But if they arrive in paradise in completely exhausted and starved condition [and remain in it till the end of time], what would be the use for all those virgin crowds? Sounds like a self-defeating proposition.
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