PA: Revoking prisoners' rights may lead to clash
Palestinian minister says sanctions on prisoners can trigger protest in West Bank
"The prisoners might rebel against the new regulations and start a hunger strike that will cause agitation on the streets," Kraka said during a meeting in Ramallah. "A widespread protest can nullify the efforts made by the security arms to establish order in the Authority. It might set us two steps back."
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"There is no difference between Rabbi Yaakov Yosef or Rabbi Dov Lior and those of you who incite against prisoners," said Qaddura Fares, chairman of the Palestinian Prisoners Club.
Fares and Kraka cast blame on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for creating the hostile environment.
"In his speech, Netanyahu painted a warped picture of the prisoners' lives," Kraka said. "They don't live in a five-star hotel, and their conditions are very tough."
Megiddo Prison: 'Not a 5-star hotel' (Photo: Hagay Aharon)
'Shalit should get equal rights'
The minister added that Israel no longer follows international law when it comes to the treatment of Palestinian prisoners.
"There are prisoners who spend many years in solitary confinement, whose families are not allowed to visit them in prison, prisoners who continue to be jailed even though they have served their sentence," he said. "Netanyahu is lying when he says that Israel is committed to international law."
Kraka stated that Netanyahu is "unwilling to admit to the Israelis that he has failed" in the effort to release Shalit, so instead he is holding the Palestinian prisoners hostage. He added that the new measures don't only oppress Hamas prisoners, but also Fatah ones.
"According to the information I have, 75% of the deal has been agreed upon," he said. "(…) Why does Shalit need to stay in jail when the details of the deal are known, and are not expected to change?" He claimed that Hamas agreed for the most dangerous detainees to be deported to the Gaza Strip or abroad instead of the West Bank.
Fares, of the Palestinian Prisoners' Club, claimed during the meeting in Ramallah that while Hamas cannot be held accountable by international law, because it is an organization and not a state, Shalit should have rights equal to those that Palestinian prisoners get.
"If you ask the prisoners who were detained by Palestinian organizations, like the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, you will discover they received fair treatment and good conditions. They slept and ate with their captors," Fares claimed.
Elior Levy is Ynet's Palestinian affairs correspondent
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