PA TV accuses Israeli prisons of adopting a "policy of deliberate medical neglect"
Official PA TV program Palestine This Morning, hosting Public Relations Manager of the PLO Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs Thaer Shreitah
Official PA TV host: “Good morning mister Thaer. First, so that it will be clearer to the viewers, update us about the condition of prisoner Kamal Abu Wa’er (i.e., terrorist, involved in murder of at least 4) – in other words, after he was infected with the Coronavirus – and the policy of deliberate medical neglect in the occupation’s prisons. What is his condition currently?”
Public Relations Manager of the PLO Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs Thaer Shreitah: “Prisoner Kamal Abu Wa’er was subjected to a hostile medical crime by the Israeli occupation. [He is] a prisoner who is sick with throat cancer. He has been suffering for a number of months and [he hasn’t received] any attention from the prison management or the Israeli occupation government. His condition was not treated seriously. On the contrary, there was deliberate medical neglect and this led to his infection with the Coronavirus. This is a result of the Israeli racism against our sick prisoners, and therefore prisoner Kamal Abu Wa’er is a potential Martyr, if the international community won’t take a step to save him.”
Kamal Abu Wa’er – Palestinian terrorist and member of the PA Presidential Security Force 17 who participated in a number of lethal terror attacks including: the murder of Israeli border policeman Madhat Yousef in a shooting attack at Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus on Oct. 1, 2000; the murder of Rabbi Benjamin Herling in a shooting attack at Mount Eival on Oct. 19, 2000; the shooting and murder of Arnaldo Agranionic, a guard at the town of Itamar, on May 8, 2001; and the murder of 16-year-old Aliza Malka in a drive-by shooting near the entrance of Kibbutz Meirav on Aug. 9, 2001. Abu Wa'er was serving 6 life sentences and died in prison in November 2020.
Note: The PA claimed that this terrorist had suffered Israel's alleged deliberate medical neglect in prison.
However, later, the PLO Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs announced that “cancer patient prisoner Kamal Abu Wa’er has recovered from the Coronavirus after having become sick with it approximately two weeks ago.” [Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Aug. 7, 2020]
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."