PLO Director of Prisoners' Affairs claims Israel's definition of Palestinian prisoners as terrorists is a violation of the "right to resist," visits families of imprisoned terrorist murderers
Headline: “Karake demands to provide international protection to the prisoners and to force Israel to implement international law”
“Director of [PLO] Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs Issa Karake emphasized that it is necessary to ensure international protection for the prisoners and force the occupation state, Israel, to respect international law and the prisoners' rights… Karake emphasized that the vast majority of the prisoners – over 98% of them – ‘are civilians,’ and that over 80% of the prisoners are imprisoned over a peaceful struggle and popular resistance (i.e., term used by Palestinians, which also refers to the use of violence and terror) to the Israeli occupation… Karake noted that the Israeli incitement against the prisoners and their definition as terrorists constitute a violation of the right of the Palestinian people to resist and protest the violation of human rights by Israel…
He said that the occupation’s military laws are not consistent with the foundations and statutes of international law in all that is connected to the treatment of residents who are subject to the rule of the occupier and of civilian detainees.
He also noted that the motto of the government of Israel is ‘A good Arab is a dead Arab’ (sic., this is not a motto of Israel)…
Karake said this during a visit to the families of prisoners in the Bethlehem district, with the participation of a delegation of released prisoners from the district. [He visited] the family of wounded prisoner Hafez Sharai’ah (i.e., terrorist, involved in murder of 1), who was sentenced to a life sentence and another 23 years and was arrested when he was wounded during the siege of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in 2002, after he was shot inside the church (i.e., he was wounded in a gunfight with Israeli soldiers)… Karake and the delegation also visited the family of prisoner brothers Nasser Abayat (i.e., terrorist, involved in murder of 5 Israelis) who was sentenced to life, and his brothers Salem, Muhammad, Raed, and Saber Abayat (PMW was unable to verify the nature of their crimes –Ed.). All of the sons of this family are sitting in the prisons.”
The terms "peaceful uprising/resistance,” and “popular uprising/resistance" are used by PA leaders at times to refer to peaceful protest and at times to refer to deadly terror attacks and terror waves. For example, Mahmoud Abbas defined as “peaceful popular” the murderous terror during the 2015-2016 terror wave (“The Knife Intifada”), in which 40 people were killed (36 Israelis, 1 Palestinian, 2 Americans and 1 Eritrean) and hundreds wounded by stabbings, shootings and car ramming attacks: Abbas said: "we want peaceful popular uprising, and that’s what this is." http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=16437
Hafez Sharai’ah – Palestinian terrorist and member of the PA intelligence service and the Tanzim (Fatah terror faction) who participated in the murder of Israeli police superintendent Moshe Dayan in the Judean Desert on March 2, 2002. Sharai’ah was also one of 39 wanted terrorists who took over the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in April 2002, using dozens of hostages and the religious site as shields. After 39 days of siege by the Israeli army, the terrorists released the hostages and were deported to Gaza and Cyprus. During the siege Israel arrested Sharai’ah, when he was wounded in a gunfight with Israeli army forces at the site (on April 26, 2002). Sharai’ah is serving a life sentence and 23 additional years.
Siege of the Church of the Nativity - In 2002, during the PA terror campaign (the second Intifada, 2000-2005), Israel launched Operation Defensive Shield in the West Bank to prevent future terror attacks against Israelis. During the operation, 39 terrorists fled to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, using dozens of hostages and the religious site as shields. After 39 days of siege by the Israeli army, the terrorists released the hostages and were deported to Gaza and Cyprus. During the siege, the church was damaged in exchanges of fire between the terrorists and the Israeli army. One clergyman was murdered by the terrorists and 8 terrorists were killed by the Israeli army.
Nasser Abayat – Palestinian terrorist who was a member of a terror cell that murdered 5 Israelis: Israeli soldier Max Hazan on Oct. 2, 2000; Israeli soldiers David Cohen and Shlomo Adshina on Nov. 1, 2000; Avi Boaz on Jan. 15, 2002; and Israeli police superintendent Moshe Dayan on March 2, 2002. Abayat was arrested in 2006 and according to Palestinian sources is serving 3 life sentences and an additional 25 years. PMW was unable to verify his sentence.
“Director of [PLO] Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs Issa Karake emphasized that it is necessary to ensure international protection for the prisoners and force the occupation state, Israel, to respect international law and the prisoners' rights… Karake emphasized that the vast majority of the prisoners – over 98% of them – ‘are civilians,’ and that over 80% of the prisoners are imprisoned over a peaceful struggle and popular resistance (i.e., term used by Palestinians, which also refers to the use of violence and terror) to the Israeli occupation… Karake noted that the Israeli incitement against the prisoners and their definition as terrorists constitute a violation of the right of the Palestinian people to resist and protest the violation of human rights by Israel…
He said that the occupation’s military laws are not consistent with the foundations and statutes of international law in all that is connected to the treatment of residents who are subject to the rule of the occupier and of civilian detainees.
He also noted that the motto of the government of Israel is ‘A good Arab is a dead Arab’ (sic., this is not a motto of Israel)…
Karake said this during a visit to the families of prisoners in the Bethlehem district, with the participation of a delegation of released prisoners from the district. [He visited] the family of wounded prisoner Hafez Sharai’ah (i.e., terrorist, involved in murder of 1), who was sentenced to a life sentence and another 23 years and was arrested when he was wounded during the siege of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in 2002, after he was shot inside the church (i.e., he was wounded in a gunfight with Israeli soldiers)… Karake and the delegation also visited the family of prisoner brothers Nasser Abayat (i.e., terrorist, involved in murder of 5 Israelis) who was sentenced to life, and his brothers Salem, Muhammad, Raed, and Saber Abayat (PMW was unable to verify the nature of their crimes –Ed.). All of the sons of this family are sitting in the prisons.”
The terms "peaceful uprising/resistance,” and “popular uprising/resistance" are used by PA leaders at times to refer to peaceful protest and at times to refer to deadly terror attacks and terror waves. For example, Mahmoud Abbas defined as “peaceful popular” the murderous terror during the 2015-2016 terror wave (“The Knife Intifada”), in which 40 people were killed (36 Israelis, 1 Palestinian, 2 Americans and 1 Eritrean) and hundreds wounded by stabbings, shootings and car ramming attacks: Abbas said: "we want peaceful popular uprising, and that’s what this is." http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=16437
Hafez Sharai’ah – Palestinian terrorist and member of the PA intelligence service and the Tanzim (Fatah terror faction) who participated in the murder of Israeli police superintendent Moshe Dayan in the Judean Desert on March 2, 2002. Sharai’ah was also one of 39 wanted terrorists who took over the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in April 2002, using dozens of hostages and the religious site as shields. After 39 days of siege by the Israeli army, the terrorists released the hostages and were deported to Gaza and Cyprus. During the siege Israel arrested Sharai’ah, when he was wounded in a gunfight with Israeli army forces at the site (on April 26, 2002). Sharai’ah is serving a life sentence and 23 additional years.
Siege of the Church of the Nativity - In 2002, during the PA terror campaign (the second Intifada, 2000-2005), Israel launched Operation Defensive Shield in the West Bank to prevent future terror attacks against Israelis. During the operation, 39 terrorists fled to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, using dozens of hostages and the religious site as shields. After 39 days of siege by the Israeli army, the terrorists released the hostages and were deported to Gaza and Cyprus. During the siege, the church was damaged in exchanges of fire between the terrorists and the Israeli army. One clergyman was murdered by the terrorists and 8 terrorists were killed by the Israeli army.
Nasser Abayat – Palestinian terrorist who was a member of a terror cell that murdered 5 Israelis: Israeli soldier Max Hazan on Oct. 2, 2000; Israeli soldiers David Cohen and Shlomo Adshina on Nov. 1, 2000; Avi Boaz on Jan. 15, 2002; and Israeli police superintendent Moshe Dayan on March 2, 2002. Abayat was arrested in 2006 and according to Palestinian sources is serving 3 life sentences and an additional 25 years. PMW was unable to verify his sentence.
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