PLO falsely accuses Israel of “deliberately neglecting” Palestinian prisoners’ health

Image and text posted on the Facebook page of the PLO Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs

The image shows a prison cell.

Posted text: “The [PLO] Commission of Prisoners’ [Affairs]: Prisoner Mahmoud Fares (PMW was unable to determine the nature of his crimes -Ed.) is suffering from a severe health condition in the Megiddo [Prison]…

[The commission] added that the prisoner needs periodic checks to check his condition, but the occupation’s Israeli Prison Service management opposed this and is deliberately neglecting his medical condition (sic., see note below regarding PA libel on medical abuse of Palestinian prisoners).”

Libel on medical abuse of Palestinian prisoners - The PA claims that Israel abuses Palestinian prisoners through medical neglect, medical experiments, and by intentionally infecting them with diseases. However, the International Red Cross regularly visits these prisoners and has not documented or accused Israel of any of these claims. Likewise, lists of demands occasionally issued by the prisoners during hunger strikes—such as during one in 2011—include no demands relating to these claims. PMW has documented prisoners talking about how they "lack nothing" in the prisons and that "the worst thing about Israeli prison" is riding in a prison vehicle that has no padding on the seat. When PMW contacted the Israeli Ministry of Health in 2007 regarding PA claims of medical experiments on prisoners, the ministry responded: "Clinical testing on prisoners in prison was never approved, never performed, and is most certainly not taking place at present."