A few days before the government began talking this week about a possible military withdrawal from Lebanon, Amnesty International distributed an urgent press release naming six men and one woman arrested in South Lebanon and being held in the El Khiam Detention Center. Amnesty is sounding an alarm: the seven individuals are liable to be tortured. This type of preemptive approach is not normally employed by the organization. Amnesty's activities are general restrict to publicizing the testimony of prisoners and detainees only after they have been tortured. The press release did not state why the seven had been arrested; it reported only that the warning is based on information the organization has received and published in the past. During the public debate that erupted this week about the proposal to pull out from Lebanon, no one bothered to mention El Khiam, located a few kilometers north of Metulla. It was almost as if the detention center did not even exist. More generally, one rarely hears any talk about what the South Lebanese Army (SLA)* is doing, in "Israel's" name and on "Israel's" account, to the residents of South Lebanon. El Khiam is another good reason to leave Lebanon.The El Khiam camp was built in the 1930s by the French, who then ruled Lebanon. About 150 prisoners are held in small, dark cells; the only light comes from narrow ventilation holes in the ceiling. Some of the cells are so small that prisoners cannot stand or lie down, and are forced to sit with their faces to the wall. The food rations are inadequate. The prisoners are held without trial, and their rights are few and far between. Amnesty interviewed prisoners who had spent several years in El Khiam without trial. At one time, conditions in the camp improved. Representatives of the Red Cross were permitted to monitor conditions and relatives of prisoners were permitted to visit. About six months ago, however, the visits were abruptly halted. Since that time, the detention center has been completely isolated, without any external supervision, including that of the Red Cross. Nor are physicians from outside allowed to enter. Amnesty's warning that the seven recently-arrested people are liable to be tortured is based on graphically-detailed reports from prisoners who had spent time in El Khiam. They reported that prisoners are tortured with electric shocks to their fingers and sex organs. One prisoner reported that he had been tortured with electric shocks while sitting in a barrel filled with water. Another favored torture device is hanging prisoners from poles, with only their big toes touching the floor. Detainees are also whipped. All this takes place in the presence of Shin Bet officers and "Israel" Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers. The "Israelis" coach the SLA men in technique; the SLA men perform the torture. In fact, Amnesty has also based its warning on testimony provided by "Israeli" soldiers who served in El Khiam.

Nevertheless, in contrast to the many acts of injustice perpetrated in Gaza and the West Bank, most "Israelis" have a hard time internalizing the horrors of El Khiam. Most citizens seem to ignore the fact that these wrongs are being carried out in "Israel's" name, thereby obviating the need to take a stand. The main reason, of course, is that most "Israelis" quite naturally are more concerned about the dangers awaiting their soldiers in Lebanon. In addition, Lebanon is out of sight and out of mind, and there are no "Israeli" journalists there.

The government of "Israel" is shirking its responsibility for what goes on at the detention center, asserting that the camp is under SLA control. Amnesty refuses to accept this claim; the SLA is nothing more than a client militia, and "Israel" is responsible for its actions. Amnesty describes the prisoners of El Khiam a "forgotten hostages."

Several months ago, Amnesty dispatched a long memorandum to the prime minister. One of the representatives of the organization said this week that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had not bothered to respond to the organization. This week, the organization asked its supporters around the world to appeal directly to the prime minister. The organization noted the fax number (03-691-7915), and in proper English fashion, instructed its supporters regarding the correct form of salutation to Netanyahu: "Dear Prime Minister."