PLO Director of Prisoners’ Affairs says Palestinian prisoners are not terrorists
Headline: “Solidarity vigil for Parliament Member prisoner Marwan Barghouti”
“[Director of the PLO Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs and PA Parliament Member Issa] Karake stressed that there would be no comprehensive and just peace unless it makes the prisoners its first priority. He said that these prisoners are prisoners of freedom and of war, not terrorists, as Israel tries to present them to the world, for they have fought so that our people may live in dignity and freedom on its land, and everything will be incomplete until they return to their families.”
Note: There are 6,500 Palestinians serving time in Israeli prisons (as of December 2014), some of whom murdered or planned the murders of Israeli civilians. All of these prisoners were imprisoned for security offenses and terror related crimes. According to the PA Prisoner's Law, the word "prisoner" is defined as "anyone imprisoned in the occupation's [Israel's] prisons as a result of his participation in the struggle against the occupation." (Ch. 1 of Law of Prisoners, 2004/19, www.alasra.ps, accessed May 9, 2011)
“[Director of the PLO Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs and PA Parliament Member Issa] Karake stressed that there would be no comprehensive and just peace unless it makes the prisoners its first priority. He said that these prisoners are prisoners of freedom and of war, not terrorists, as Israel tries to present them to the world, for they have fought so that our people may live in dignity and freedom on its land, and everything will be incomplete until they return to their families.”
Note: There are 6,500 Palestinians serving time in Israeli prisons (as of December 2014), some of whom murdered or planned the murders of Israeli civilians. All of these prisoners were imprisoned for security offenses and terror related crimes. According to the PA Prisoner's Law, the word "prisoner" is defined as "anyone imprisoned in the occupation's [Israel's] prisons as a result of his participation in the struggle against the occupation." (Ch. 1 of Law of Prisoners, 2004/19, www.alasra.ps, accessed May 9, 2011)