New York Times Mocks Palestinian Hunger Striker Near Death

by Stephen Lendman

Longstanding Times editorial policy one-sidedly supports Israel’s worst crimes - ignoring the brutality of a rogue regime run by fascists, racists and religious zealots masquerading as democrats.

Previous articles discussed hunger striker Muhammad Allan - a heroic young Palestinian lawyer extrajudicially imprisoned indefinitely uncharged and untried because he committed no crimes.

The Times mocked him saying his “refusal to eat puts Israel in a bind.” It ignored his outrageous mistreatment and plight of an entire persecuted population. More on this below.

Thousands of other Palestinian political prisoners languish in Israel’s gulag unjustly under hellish conditions. New victims join them daily.

Militarized Israeli occupation controls virtually all aspects of Palestinians’ lives - systematically denying them fundamental human and civil rights mandated under international law, incarcerating, brutalizing and murdering them unaccountably.

Allen’s hunger strike exceeding two months made him a worldwide iconic figure - a symbol of an entire population struggling to live free on their own land in their own country, what everyone deserves everywhere with universal support.

On Friday, he lapsed into coma. Yesterday he regained consciousness - vowing to continue hunger striking for justice until death if not achieved.

The Palestinian Prisoners Society said he “declared in front of his doctors that if there is not any solution to his case within 24 hours, he will ask for all (intravenous) treatment to stop and will stop drinking water.”

His heroic struggle for justice is in its 65th day. Through his lawyer, Jamil al-Khatib, he categorically refused Israel’s offer to release him on condition of accepting four years of forced exile - an outrageous proposal demanding rejection.

On Monday, Israel’s Supreme Court heard a petition on his behalf. They delayed ruling until Wednesday to get more information on his medical status. Al-Khatib explained Allan is determined to refuse food and water until death if not freed. He has worldwide support.

Hundreds of other Palestinian political prisoners began hunger striking for justice, including 250 held at a Negev prison camp. Allan’s mother began abstaining from food in solidarity with her son. She’s holding a vigil outside Barzilai hospital where he’s held.

Prison authorities may begin force feeding him imminently - perhaps pending on how Israel’s High Court rules on his case.

On August 17, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights and Prisoners’ Committee of Islamic and national Factions held a seminar titled “Force-Feeding is a War Crime.”

Palestinian political prisoners refuse food as their only way to resist injustice - hoping to bring attention to their abusive treatment.

PCHR Director Raji Sourani said the seminar and other supportive activities are a way to show Palestinian detainees aren’t abandoned.

Allan’s father expressed thanks for the solidarity campaign on behalf of his son and other persecuted Palestinian prisoners.

Last summer, The Times irresponsibly blamed Hamas for 51 days of premeditated Israeli aggression on Gaza, its criminal campaign to inflict mass casualties mainly against civilians, as well as destroy vital Gaza infrastructure - horrific war crimes by any standard demanding accountability.

Now they mocked Allan’s heroic struggle for justice - his willingness to die if not freed. He “flummox(ed) Israel’s legal, medical, political and security systems,” said The Times.

Not a word about decades of racist persecution, mass imprisoning thousands of Palestinians for political reasons, many uncharged and untried like Allan, torturing and otherwise abusing them, stealing Palestinian land for exclusive Jewish development, and waging genocidal wars like Protective Edge.

Nothing about a ruthless rogue state guilty of every high crime imaginable - waging slow-motion genocide against an entire population.

Allan’s struggle didn’t get worldwide attention because of Israel’s new force-feeding law, as the Times suggests. It’s because of his courageous resistance against Israeli viciousness - a ruthless, Arab-hating apartheid rogue state, persecuting Palestinians for not being Jewish.

Don’t expect Times reports to explain. One-sided support for Israel’s worst crimes is longstanding editorial policy.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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