The Palestinian Prisoner's Day

(April 17^th, 1997)

Throughout the thirty years of the Israeli Occupation of the Palestinian territories there have been always Palestinians in the Israeli Jails - suffering from torture, isolation and inhumane treatment. Those prisoners are usually deprived of all basic human rights irrespective of their ages or health conditions. The Israeli means of investigation are rather worse and void of any mercy or ethics. The image of an Israeli jail represents a nightmare or terror that is intolerable. It is indeed a true feeling that an Israeli prison means a gradual death and a cell of fearful isolation which leads to depression and collapse.

The Palestinians regard the prisoners serving certain periods or an administrative detention in Israeli prisons as heroes who deserve respect and support by the Palestinian masses. Their families who live in worry and anxiety also deserve support and social condolence that will enable them to calm down and acquire patience.

Realizing the difficulty of such an experience and the cruelty of the Israelis towards the Palestinian prisoners, the Palestinians have declared the 17th of April as the Prisoners day which is usually observed with various national activities which promote national solidarity and Patriotic feelings. Lectures, Seminars and meetings are held in different parts of the country to tell students and others about the practices of the Israelis against the Palestinians and about the sufferings of our prisoners in those cells away from their families - facing torture and fear.

In almost every town in Palestine, there is a club called the Palestinian Prisoners club which honors the released prisoners, provides support to the families of the prisoners and above all carries out the activities which will make the prisoners' cause as one of the significant Palestinian Political and social causes for which the international community should care about and follow up.

It is one of the issues that should be the concern of International and human rights organizations and the politicians who care for honor issues.

This year, the 17th of April happens to be also Al- Adha Day or the Holy Qurban day.

In an expression of the feeling of national support to our prisoners, the Palestinian national institutions and our armed forces will carry out a package of cultural and media activities to demonstrate the national repugnance towards the Israeli coercive policies in Palestine and in particular the Prisoners Cause which, if not solved, would lead to a severe deterioration in the peace process in the Middle East.

We call upon the major powers, the United Nations, the International human rights organizations to burden their responsibilities by exercising a pressure on the Israeli government to review its policies and to release our prisoners especially the children, the old aged, and the sick.

No peace can be achieved with oppression.

No peace can be achieved with terror.

No peace can be achieved with thousands of Palestinians in Israeli jails.

Statistics on Palestinians in Israeli jails

As of March 1997, the total number of prisoners in Israeli jails have reached 3000, taking into consideration that this number is changing continuously due to the continuation of arbitrary arrests and the numbers are as follows: