Libel: Israel “exploited” the Coronavirus pandemic to “punish” terrorist prisoners, claims PA TV
Official PA TV News, on Palestinian Prisoner’s Day
Official PA TV newsreader and text on screen:“There are 4,500 prisoners in the occupation’s prisons, including 41 female prisoners and 140 children. Two-hundred-and-twenty-six Martyrs have died as Martyrs since 1967, including 75 prisoners who were shot during the process of arrest, 73 prisoners due to torture, 7 prisoners who were directly shot at, and 71 prisoners due to the policy of medical neglect (sic., see note below regarding PA libel on medical abuse of Palestinian prisoners). The number of prisoner leaders who have been in prison for more than 20 years – in other words, the veteran prisoners from before the [1993] Oslo Accords – is 25, the most veteran of whom are Karim and Maher Younes (i.e., terrorist cousins, murdered 1 together), who have been imprisoned since 1983, and Nael Barghouti (i.e., terrorist, murdered 1 together with an accomplice), who has served 41 years until now in the Israeli prison, including 34 consecutive years. The number of prisoners who were sentenced to life is 543 prisoners, including Abdallah Barghouti (i.e., terrorist, involved in murder of 67), who was sentenced to 67 life sentences. Four-hundred-and-forty prisoners are in administrative detention.Throughout previous decades, the violations by the occupation authorities against the prisoners have continued, the latest of which is exploiting the Coronavirus epidemic to deprive them of the visits of their parents and to punish them. Our heroic prisoners in the prisons, people of strength and honor – you are the free people.”
Visual:
Images of the following three terrorist prisoners from left to right are shown on the screen behind the official PA TV newsreader: Nael Barghouti, Karim Younes, and Maher Younes.
An image of terrorist prisoner Abdallah Barghouti is shown on the screen behind the newsreader.
Newsreader and text on screen: “Our people in the Shatila refugee camp in Lebanon marked Palestinian Prisoner’s Day and the 33rd anniversary of the death as a Martyr of leader Khalil Al-Wazir [‘Abu Jihad’] (i.e., terrorist, responsible for murder of 125) in a mass rally, in which the participants expressed loyalty to the Martyrs and prisoners.”
Visual:
The screenshot shows a poster of terrorist Khalil Al-Wazir “Abu Jihad.”
Text on screen and on poster: “The First Bullets – Abu Jihad Al-Wazir”
[Official PA TV News, April 18, 2021]
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."
Karim Younes - Israeli Arab terrorist who kidnapped and murdered Israeli soldier Avraham Bromberg in 1980 together with his cousin Maher Younes. Younes was originally sentenced to life in prison, but Israeli President Shimon Peres reduced his sentence in 2012. Younes is serving a 40-year sentence. In May 2017 Younes was appointed by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to the Fatah Central Committee. Younes was released from prison on Jan. 5, 2023.
Maher Younes - Israeli Arab terrorist who kidnapped and murdered Israeli soldier Avraham Bromberg in 1980 together with his cousin Karim Younes. Younes was originally sentenced to life in prison, but Israeli President Shimon Peres reduced his sentence in 2012. Younes is serving a 40-year sentence. Younes was released from prison on Jan. 19, 2023.
Nael and Fakhri Barghouti – Palestinian terrorists who murdered an Israeli army officer in January 1978, near Ramallah. Both were sentenced to life but were released in the Shalit prisoner exchange deal in 2011. Nael Barghouti was arrested again in 2014 for violating the terms of his release by offering Hamas to serve as its minister of prisoners' affairs, and is serving a life sentence plus an additional 18 years.
Abu Jihad (Khalil Al-Wazir) - was a founder of Fatah and deputy to Yasser Arafat. He headed the PLO terror organization's military wing and also planned many deadly Fatah terror attacks in the 1960’s - 1980’s. These attacks, in which a total of 125 Israelis were murdered, included the Coastal Road attack that (until Oct. 7, 2023) was the most lethal in Israeli history - the hijacking of a bus and murder of 37 civilians, 12 of them children.