Commercial businesses strike in solidarity with hunger-strikers

Owners of Palestinian shops in West Bank cities went on strike yesterday in solidarity with the Palestinians prisoners who are currently on hunger strike for 47 days inside Israeli jails.

Groups of Palestinians took to the streets in solidarity with the hunger strikers, about 70 of whom are being treated in Israeli hospitals.

About 200 administrative prisoners have been on hunger strike since April 24. They are demanding the end of this internationally-banned imprisonment in which no charges are brought against prisoners.

Tens of prisoners joined the strike later in solidarity with their colleagues.

The demonstrators raised posters with slogans which read: “Freedom for Prisoners” and “Chains must be broken”.

Lawyer of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club Jawad Bolus, who visited the hunger strikers in hospital told Reuters that each one has lost an average of 16 kilogrammes in weight.

Head of the Supreme Committee for the Follow up of the Prisoners’ Issues Amin Shoman said: “This commercial strike sends a message to the Israeli authorities that the Palestinian resistance will include all sectors unless the prisoners’ demands are met.”

Blocking prisoner release

Leader of the right wing party the Jewish Home Naftali Bennett proposed a law that aimed to block the release of prisoners convicted of killing Israelis in any future peace talks.

The law, which would enable judges to declare convicted killers ineligible for presidential pardons, was approved and sent to the Knesset for approval.

Should it be approved by the Knesset none of the veteran Palestinian prisoners would be released in any future swap or as good-will gesture ahead of peace talks as has previously been the case.

Recently, the Israeli government halted the release of a batch of veteran prisoners, who were to be released as part of US-brokered peace talks.