Palestinian prisoners being detained in Israeli jails will be observing a general strike today to protest intolerable living conditions imposed by their captors.
The new jail policies include the blocking of access to education. So far, because of the resistance to these measures, scores of prisoners have been put in solitary confinement and isolated from their cadres.
Few should be surprised at the Israelis' actions — they have a long and tortuous history of repression of the Palestinian people, occupying their lands, demolishing their homes, abusing the rights of all. They care little for the thoughts of the international fraternity as a whole and act with impunity.
Today, we should be proud of those who are detained in Israel's jails. Even behind bars, they continue to resist their repressers.
What's even more disturbing is that one-third of the Palestinians behind bars have been refused the right of family visits. This refusal amounts to psychological torture through emotional deprivation — it is akin to imprisoning the mind and the hearts of detainees as well as their bodies.
Those Palestinians who take part in today's prison protests are continuing the long and proud struggle to free their homeland from these illegal occupiers and unlawful usurpers.
