Does Israel hold Palestinian prisoners If so why does Israel refuse to release them ?
As the world watched in shock on the evening of November 24th, 39 Palestinian detainees were freed from Zionist captivity in return for Israeli prisoners of war. Following this, 240 Palestinian detainees were freed in exchanges between Israel and Hamas during a brief "humanitarian pause."
This pivotal event has dismantled decades of Zionist propaganda and demonstrated to the world that, despite a century of colonization, the Zionist endeavor has not succeeded in undermining the political unity of the Palestinian people.
To comprehend the importance of this historic moment, it is essential to contextualize the struggle of Palestinian prisoners: to acknowledge that the Palestinian condition is one of imprisonment; to honor the fact that our prisoners have always been the compass of our struggle; and to insist that prisoner exchanges are a valid strategy for Palestinian liberation.
Comprehending the broader context and history of Palestinian prisoners is essential to grasp the significance of this victorious moment as part of a long history of the Palestinian struggle and as a crucial milestone on the journey toward Palestinian liberation.
Global attention has been on Gaza since October 7th.
Nonetheless, it is evident that the bloodshed in Gaza did not commence on October 7th. For 17 years, Gaza has endured a cruel siege by land, air, and sea, with Israel exercising control over the entry people and goods, including medicine, construction materials, to travel permits, and even the caloric intake of Gaza's population. This is the reason people often refer to occupied Gaza as 'the largest open-air prison in the world.'
Examining Gaza as a case study reveals that the plight of Palestinians constitutes a state of imprisonment. This extends beyond Gaza. Palestinian children in the West Bank are frequently arrested during night raids, aimed at intentionally disorienting and confusing them.
A significant number of Palestinian prisoners in the West Bank are detained under administrative detention, which means they are not allowed to stand trial, leaves them unaware of the charges against them, and subjects them to frequent and indefinite extensions of their detention. In the 48 territories, currently known as Israel, Palestinians are frequently criminalized for expressing their Palestinian identity, instead expected to (in the words of Israeli Finance Minister) leave, die, or live as individuals.
Furthermore, the criminalization of Palestinians extends beyond borders of historic Palestine. In the diaspora, the international influences of Zionism and imperialism consistently seek to undermine the legitimacy of the Palestinian freedom and liberation movement.
Throughout the West, efforts have been made to demonize and criminalize the phrase ‘from the river to the sea’ as a protest chant. US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib faced censure for her only expressing it; Harvard's President was lambasted for using the phrase; a Palestinian organizer in Calgary, Canada, was arrested for chanting it; and the former UK Home Secretary urged the police to regard the chant “as an expression of a violent desire." The criminalization of the phrase "from the river to the sea" exemplifies the use of lawfare against Palestinians in exile to suppress our voices, divert attention from Israeli war crimes, and keep us on the defensive.
It is unsurprising that Palestinians perceive our prisoners as representatives of a nation in captivity, given the criminalization of Palestinians and our liberty throughout historic Palestine and in exile. The struggles of Palestinian prisoners have consistently been a significant aspect of the Palestinian national liberation movement.
Within the jail confines, resistance manifests differently compared to resistance on the streets.
Many people perceive imprisonment as the termination of political authority and influence, believing that resistance is impossible from within the prison walls. Nonetheless, the severity of incarceration can elicit profoundly significant and inspirational acts of defiance. In the absence of adequate means of resistance, prisoners show us that the body serves as a battleground, and we regularly see prisoners resisting through forms of protest such as hunger strikes.
The most recent and notable instance is the hunger strike of Khader Adnan, a Palestinian prisoner who died last year on the 87th day of his hunger strike. However, a lengthy history of hunger strikes extends beyond Palestine, encompassing other prisoners, like Irish freedom fighter Bobby Sands. Through these methods of protest, our prisoners demonstrate that resistance is always possible and that even amongst the anguish, seclusion, and misery of jail, tools of resistance always exist.
The Palestinian prisoner movement has consistently gone beyond mere resistance within Israeli prison walls.
The prisoner’s struggle has served as a pivotal element and a guiding force for the broader liberation movement; hence, Palestinians frequently designate prisoners as ‘the compass of our struggle.’ In Israeli prisons, Palestinians establish schools for liberation, formulate curricula and analyses, and publish novels and essays from within the jail boundaries.
Our prisoners also teach us the significance of unity: upon confinement, they become part of a new socio-political entity where seniority within the prisoner movement is determined by experience and revolutionary potential, and leaders in any faction are given respect accordingly. Amidst the prevailing divisions within Palestinian society, the prisoners' movement has emerged, demanding for the expression of solidarity within prisons to be mirrored on the ground. They exemplify their vision for a liberated Palestine, where unity prevails over factionalism.
Given that Palestinians live in imprisonment, it is not surprising that the Palestinian liberation struggle has historically used prisoner exchanges as a strategy.
The last year has demonstrated what Palestinians have understood for over 76 years: Israel consistently declines to heed global campaigns and international pressure to liberate our captives. History has subsequently demonstrated to the Palestinian people that the liberation of prisoners is achievable solely through the strategy of prisoner exchange.
This moment has confirmed the legitimacy and efficacy of prisoner exchange as a tactic in national liberation and anti-colonial struggles.
Israel and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) established the Jibril Agreement in 1985, which led to the release of 1,150 Palestinian and Lebanese prisoners in exchange for three Israeli soldiers captured by the PFLP. Many of those released by Israel who had been imprisoned without charge or trial subsequently became the foundation of the First Intifada, advancing the cause of Palestinian liberation.
Following the release of Palestinian prisoners from Zionist jails, the Palestinian resistance reaffirmed its commitment to persist in the struggle until all Palestinian prisoners are liberated from Israeli prisons.
This encompasses notable Palestinian political figures and freedom fighters, including Marwan Barghouti, Georges Abdallah, and Zakaria Zubeidi. The release of these prisoners would fundamentally change the trajectory of our liberation movement, providing the necessary leadership to cultivate the next generation of cadres to advance our struggle.
Over the past year, prisoner exchanges have dominated our TV and phone screens. We have seen Palestinian prisoners, predominantly children, have been released from Israeli prisons. We have witnessed child prisoners embracing their mothers, and women prisoners embracing their children.
We must historicize and contextualize over 76 years of the Palestinian prisoners' struggle as we observe these significant and touching moments. We must acknowledge that the Palestinian condition is fundamentally one of imprisonment, that prisoners have consistently served as the compass of the Palestinian struggle, and that we have traditionally used prisoner exchanges as a legitimate tool in our liberation efforts.
Only by exploring this past can the historical significance of the here and now be understood.