Every Palestinian and every believer of the righteousness of the Palestinian cause gave a sigh of relief, knowing that hunger strikers lives were spared, after the Palestinian prisoners reached an agreement with the Israeli Prison Administration to end their open-ended hunger strike in exchange for meeting many of their just demands.In what was described as “extraordinary”, a “dramatic shift in Palestinian tactics of resistance”, and a “Gandhian moment” in the wards of Mr. Richard Falk, the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, more than 1600 Palestinian went on hunger strike to regain their dignity as human beings.
The story all started with Khader Adnan, who was brutally arrested on December 17, 2011 by a huge Israeli army force in front of his wife and daughters. Later on, he was violently interrogated, inhumanly treated, and sentenced to four months of administrative detention.
According to the Israeli administrative detention practice - which around 300 Palestinian prisoners are subjected to - Palestinian suspects may be imprisoned by a detention order without prosecution, without informing the suspects of the charges they are accused of, nor allowing them or their lawyer’s access to the evidence incriminating them up to six months, and can be renewed for an indefinite time.
Mr. Adnan responded immediately by refusing to eat or talk until he was released, as he decided that his dignity was much more valuable than his own life, and he promised he is going to defend his dignity whatever was the coast. He remained his promise for 66 days, until finally – with the fear that his tactic of resisting the persecuting authority will spark an inspiration for others- the Israeli Authorities agreed that Mr. Khader will spend the rest of his administrative detention time in the hospital, be released on the 17th of April, and guaranteeing his sentence will not be renewed.
The spark of dignity was dissipating the gloom of prison cells and the unjust practice of administrative detention yet again, as Ms. Hana Shalabi, had been arrested on February 16. 2012, humiliated, and sentenced to 6 months of administrative detention. She started her hunger strike at the same day of her arrest and lasted for 44 days for the same motives Adnan had, protecting her dignity. Later on, Hana was released on April, 1st, 2012 but deported in a violation of international law away from her home and family to the Gaza strip for a period of 3 years.The spark of dignity has soon become a liberty torch that was carried by hunger strikers, handed from one detainee to another. Bilal Thiab, Thaer Halahleh with more than 77 days of hunger strike, and more than 1600 others joined in an open-ended hunger strike demanding to end the administrative detention and solitary confinement practices, allow visitation rights for Gaza prisoners, right of education among other demands recognizing them as human beings.
A feeling of national pride, hope, and appreciation regarding peaceful resistance tactics had permeated the Palestinian territories. Many family members, supporters, and sympathizers with the prisoners crying for dignity also joined the prisoners in their hunger strike. Regional and international media started to address the Palestinian prisoners’ conditions after it was ignored for so long. International human rights organization stressed their concerns, as did the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, but with no results on the ground.
The feeling of hope started to fade away and was soon replaced by fear, as the news came from Israeli prisons declaring that some prisoners’ health were deteriorated, and the Israeli authorities were doing nothing to prevent it. As with every family that had to deal with losing a family member, death became more than a possibility, it was a reality. And to the collective Palestinian family, we were all waiting to face the bad news. Despair was spreading in the air.
On May, 14, I was hiding back home and started hearing the prisoners supporters gathered in “Al- Jondi Square” at Gaza city shouting, I thought that for sure one of the prisoners just passed away. I ran back home to confirm my doubts started checking the news, and to my surprise the news were speaking about an agreement reached between the prisoners and the Israeli Prison Administration to end the open-ended hunger strike in exchange of some of their demands, including improving detention conditions in Israeli jails, allowing family visitations for prisoners from the Gaza Strip, putting an end to solitary confinement, reconsidering administrative detention practice, allowing prisoners to pursue their education, and putting an end to night searching campaigns. But, before I felt optimistic again, I understood that the agreement is suspended on the condition that all and every prisoner will end their hunger strike, meaning that the administrative detention prisoners will have to end their hunger strike -and after all they went through- are still going to serve their time in prison without charge.
I started imagining what would my reaction be if I were one of the 5 hunger strikers who spent more than 50 days struggling to gain my freedom, my dignity, my human statues, would I accept? Can anybody blame me or accuse me of being selfish if I refuse to?
Me, and I imagine many others were worried about the possibility that they will refuse, and for many hours I was waiting to know their response through their representatives wishing that they agree if only for their own sake to spare their lives, and then came the news late at night, they all agreed.
I can breathe more freely now.
For years to come I believe the story of the Palestinian prisoners and how fruitful their hunger strike was, will be subject of constant debate. What is more important is the fact when under oppression with no institute to protect, they took the initiative themselves to regain their dignity in a tactic of peaceful resistance.
Jehad Arafat
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