| RAMALLAH, West Bank. Palestinians nicknamed it: "the battle of the empty stomachs." For weeks, a couple of them for up to 77 days, some 1600 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails refused food and drink in what became the longest ever mass hunger strike. In the end, a deal was signed: Israeli prison services brought all of those in isolation back into the general wards, they granted family visits to those from Gaza, and according to Palestinian sources agreed that administrative detention would not be renewed for those currently held under its regime. In exchange for that, the written agreement, which was signed both by Israel and those representing the detainees, provides that security prisoners will (-I quote-): "not carry out any security activities inside Israeli prisons. That includes: recruiting people for terrorist missions, guidance, coordination, assistance and any other act that supports terrorist activity against the State of Israel." End of quote. Many Palestinians considered this deal a major victory for the prisoners. Some senior members of the Palestine Liberation Organization called it a "victory for Palestinian non violent popular resistance" because, according to them, detainees managed to get back some of their basic rights, without shedding a drop of blood. But, Israeli authorities were also quick to deny that this was a defeat, and rather called a necessary compromise with concessions made by both parties and through which Israel improved its security ... |
