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Freeing prisoners is a collective and daily responsibility

November 24, 2022 at 12:12 pm

An inmate looks out of his prison cell, 8 August 2017 [Facebook]

The duty of releasing and freeing the oppressed Palestinian prisoners detained in the Occupation prisons is not limited to the executive level of the Palestinian Resistance, as the level that is most willing and ready to do so. Rather, it goes beyond this level to two other levels, which may be the most important in this regard over the last ten years. First, is the political level that made the decision to resist and the second is the Palestinian public opinion, which includes all individuals, institutions, and groups of the Palestinian people inside and outside Palestine and their supporters.

The duty of the hour requires every Palestinian, man or woman, journalist, educator, worker, student or otherwise, to carry out the minimum human and national duty entrusted to them, without which their humanity, patriotism, and morals are diminished. The question that should be asked of those who are responsible in order to remind them and even hold them accountable, if necessary, is: How long should the Palestinian prisoner continue to suffer in prison? The number of prisoners who have been in prison for over 20 years is more than 300 prisoners. How long will Abu Al-Nur Al-Barghouti, Bilal, Abu Nima, Abu Al-Hija, Ighbariya, and many others suffer? This question must be repeated daily, over and over again. Silence may fall within the context of not living up to the level of responsibility and obligation. Trust in the leadership of the Resistance requires thinking and constant pressure. Priorities constantly compete, and the Resistance leaders are humans who could miscalculate or make the right decisions.

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The political level bears responsibility for all factions of the Palestinian people, led by the largest and most important faction of the Resistance, which is Hamas, specifically those who possess the capabilities and competencies and are delayed because of calculations and considerations that seem to many experts, specialists and loyalists to be unjustified, out of place and no longer acceptable after so many years. This respected level bears full responsibility for saving the lives of the prisoners, especially since they promised and pledged, repeatedly, over the last ten years that they are committed to achieving results and making new achievements by releasing the prisoners. Responsibility now, and over the past years, requires the implementation of these obligatory and urgent promises, otherwise, who will rid the prisoners of this great injustice? No one, after God, but their brothers and colleagues in the Resistance leadership.

What is happening to the prisoners of the Palestinian people who have withered and wasted away while they remained steadfast, unwavering, and silent in the cells of the criminal Occupation is a tragedy in the full sense of the word. In the words of the famous prisoner, the late Abu Al-Sukkar, it is “a shame that should be erased sooner rather than later.” Silence is an unforgivable crime and five or ten years is enough time for those working on this matter, even those who have minimal mental and intellectual capabilities and minimal material capabilities on a financial, military, etc., level, to accomplish something in this regard. Otherwise, it is a great catastrophe and a tragedy that deserves retaliation and recuperation. The Quranic verse, “And if you turn away, He will replace you with another people; then they will not be the likes of you” may apply to this situation, as the path of giving and generosity is the path of freedom, loyalty, brotherhood, trust and human dignity; it is the path of all supreme values ​​and principles on which the Resistance is based and led by the free Palestinian people. This path will continue and move forward either with a major organisation or a single fighter, and Uday Al-Tamimi and Murad Souf are the best examples of this.

Palestine inmates stage sit-in in Israeli jails - Cartoon [Sabaaneh/Middle East Monitor]

Palestine inmates stage sit-in in Israeli jails – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/Middle East Monitor]

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.