Israel Frees Khader Adnan

by Stephen Lendman

He hunger struck for justice and prevailed - for 55 painful days leaving him close to death. He was arrested and detained nine times before - held administratively uncharged and untried because he committed no crimes, an innocent man punished for wanting to live free.

Three other times he refused all sustenance except water, vitamins and salt - most recently earlier from December 17, 2011 to February 21, 2012 for 66 days before Israel agreed to release him, improve prison conditions and reduce administrative detentions.

Israeli gulag harshness remains as brutal as ever - under its most extremist regime ever masquerading as a democratic one, something Israel never had despite pretense otherwise.

Police state harshness terrorizes Palestinians maliciously. Thousands languish as political prisoners - hundreds uncharged and untried.

On Sunday, Adnan was released following 11 months in prison - two weeks after his lawyer Jawad Boulos negotiated a deal, ending his hunger strike ordeal.

He was secretly taken to a crossroads near his Arraba village home south of Jenin without informing his family - met by the area's Palestinian military liaison office director, Mujahid Abu Dayya.

Later on Sunday, crowds welcomed him home. "I see the happiness among Palestinians flowing and the Palestinian pain and hope for the freedom of all prisoners, God willing," he said.

"The occupation made a mistake in arresting me the first time and the second and all previous arrests."

His lawyer said deal terms this time include an Israeli pledge never to detain or imprison him again uncharged and untried.

Its promises are hollow - not worth the paper they're written on. Adnan's 10 lawless arrests and imprisonment for years alone attest to its barbarity.

He remains a marked man for his legitimate nonviolent activism. It may be just a matter of time before he's imprisoned again (charged or uncharged) or perhaps killed to silence him forever.

He's a baker, not a gunman or terrorist - a husband and father of six.

Israel released him for one reason. He was close to death - unable to stand, walk or function normally. Regime authorities didn't want his martyrdom inciting intifada-level violence.

The Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network welcomed his release - calling it a "historic victory over the Israeli occupier and its system of repression and incarceration" keeping thousands of Palestinians unjustly locked behind bars in its gulag.

The spirit of prisoners like Adnan shows they "cannot be broken by torture, isolation or imprisonment." He's an incentive for thousands of other wrongfully incarcerated Palestinians to unite in activist solidarity for their release.

Since June 1967, Israel imprisoned over 800,000 Palestinians largely for political reasons - about 20% of its population, 40% of its male population, including 10,000 women and over 8,000 children since 2000 alone.

What better definition of a police state - racist, ruthless, lawless, despotic, with unwavering US support partnering in its high crimes against peace.

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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