Israel’s shameless prisoner policy must be exposed

Adnan’s release after a deal to end his 55-day hunger strike has nothing to do with justice

The grim imprisonment of thousands of Palestinians under ferocious conditions remains an outrage. Israel is shameless about its imprisoning of Palestinians with little or no legal process under dubious security orders that allow Israeli security forces to roam at will and seize people as they wish, while the security forces of the Palestinian National Authority are powerless to resist such incursions from the occupiers.

This is why the case of hunger-striking Palestinian prisoner, Khader Adnan, is so important. Adnan has agreed to end his 55day long hunger strike, and is due to be freed on July 12. He has been a victim of what Israel calls “administrative detention” under which prisoners are held without indictment or trial. Adnan has been given repeated sentences under this iniquitous practice, often finding his imprisonment being extended at the whim of the Israeli authorities with no justification. This is Adnan’s second hunger strike and the first was during a previous stint in 2012 when he starved for 66 days risking his life to bring the disgusting practices in the Israeli jails to global public scrutiny.

It should be clear that Adnan’s release has nothing to do with justice. The Israeli secret service, Shin Bet, has stated that it thinks that Adnan is a member of Islamic Jihad, and has warned that if Adnan starved himself to death, the relative calm in Gaza would end with shattering consequences for Israel. The deep horror of what goes on in Israeli jails is something that needs to be exposed, and cases like Adnan’s offers a little light from a very brave man.