Linda Ramsden
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Last week, I returned from participating in ICAHD’s summer camp and I am still finding it hard to adjust to life back in England. During my few days there, my emotions went to such extremes, reminding me of a piece of elastic being stretched in every direction, so that even now I feel thin and worn and in danger of snapping and breaking.
Details about what happened during the camp can be seen in the daily reports that are posted on ICAHD’s website, www.icahd.org. They provide snapshots on the progress of the rebuilding of what turned out to be two Palestinian houses and the extra activities ICAHD staff organised from tours to talks, panel discussions and films, all attempting to bring greater understanding to the internationals about the complexities of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. One report, by a young American woman, expressed it well when she wrote about how impossible it is to really translate the feelings that one has about being there and all that we were exposed to. And for me, a regular visitor to the area, there is the added frustration of seeing the situation on the ground continuing to deteriorate while those in power, who could call a stop to this insanity, persistently turning a deaf ear to the implementation of international law.
This time, I actually witnessed a quite new four-story apartment block being demolished. The IDF tried to prevent us from viewing this violation of the 4th Geneva Convention but we found a way to get a glimpse of the three bulldozers a work. And while at the camp, news reached us of a British woman, married to an Israeli Palestinian from the village of Ein Rafa who had her house demolished in what is Israel proper. I learned more about how demolitions impact on family life, especially the women, and the desolation, anger, powerlessness and fear that result. Some families never recover as the demolition of a home becomes the demolition of a family.
And yet there are now some Palestinian women learning to raise up to challenge the displacement which they experience and the systems of domination and militarization that are being imposed over them. They need us to help them tell their story. Let us hope that we will find more of British society willing to listen.
The camp finished with a dedication ceremony at the site of the new Hamdan family home. There was an exciting, energetic performance by the Anata Dabka dance group, who hold their regular practice sessions at Beit Arabiya, thus ICAHD’s peace centre is providing yet another service to the local community. During the speeches, I spoke about how through ICAHD UK’s contact with British politicians, ICAHD’s work and the issue of house demolitions is being spoken of in the Houses of Parliament as we work here to raise awareness, calling for the end of the occupation and a just and sustainable future for both Israelis and Palestinians.
To celebrate the end of the camp, a lamb was roasted in true Palestinian tradition. Campers gathered in the dimly lit tent to share their reflections on what proved for many a life-changing experience. One of them, a Jewish Canadian, ended by singing his rendition of “I am the Very Model of an ICAHD Camp Participantâ€. Descriptive of our time together, it made us laugh but then brought tears to our eyes as we realized that we are truly part of a growing movement that seeks to change history.
Introduction: Each year, hundreds of Palestinian children from the Occupied Palestinian Territories are arrested, interrogated, and imprisoned by the Israeli military authorities. Since 1992, Defence for Children International/Palestine Section (DCI/PS) has represented many of these children in Israeli military courts, monitoring the conditions of their detention, and intervening with relevant institutions and government bodies in order to improve their situation.
What DCI/PS has witnessed repeatedly through their work with Palestinian child prisoners, and what has been confirmed by other human rights organizations working within the areas under Israeli occupation, are widespread and systematic violations of international law designed to safeguard the rights of children deprived of their liberty.
While international law states that child imprisonment should be used as a measure of last resort, the Israeli occupation forces view it as a matter of routine, arresting around 750 minors in 2002. Over the course of 2002, draconian laws were used with greater frequency against children, including Administrative Detention orders which allow for detention without published evidence and military order 1500, which means that children can be detained for up to 12 days (previously 18) without a court appearance or legal consultation. In 2003, these military orders continue to be invoked against children, with around 400 arrests to end-September. At the end of 2003, military order 1500 was altered so that children can be detained for up to eight days without a court appearance or legal consultation.
When children are arrested they are usually taken to adult military detention centres and interrogation centres. There are no specialist juvenile facilities, courts or personnel within the Israeli system apart from Telmond prison which houses around 70 of 350 child prisoners. Frequently, we hear of cases where children are forced to sign confessions, where they are beaten and handcuffed, or subjected to positional abuse, or shabeh (see factsheets for more). Meanwhile, children deprived of their liberty are often denied access to healthcare and education, adequate nutrition, hygiene and recreation time. Family visits are a rare privilege due to travel restrictions on the Palestinian population and frequent detention within Israeli military bases or settlements. Not surprisingly, psycho-social studies indicate that the impact of imprisonment and the horrific experiences suffered by child prisoners has a significant impact on their future development as individuals.
However, the statistics suggest that the situation continues to deteriorate unrelentingly, with an increased number of arrests, an increase in cases against younger children (14 and under) and a marked trend towards longer sentencing. For instance, the longest sentences of over 3 years were not used at all in 2001, but in 2002, 17 children were sentenced to detention of between 5-10 years.
The information provided on this website is based on DCI/PS’s experience in working with Palestinian child prisoners. It is designed both to raise awareness of the issue as well as to mobilize people to engage in advocacy efforts to bring about Israel’s compliance with international law.