Israel rapped over youth arrests Some 300 Palestinian minors have been rounded up by the Israeli army over the past year and are being held in crowded lockups, some of them without charges or trial, human rights monitors say. The monitors - including the respected Israeli B'tselem group - say that by treating those detained under 18 as adults, the Israeli army violates the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child. B'tselem's director Jessica Montell told BBC News Online that some of them were even younger than 16. The army - which treats those over 16 as adults - acknowledges it has locked up minors, but points out that they are often recruited by Palestinian militant groups to carry out terrorist attacks. The groups' criticism comes as Palestinians are staging rallies demanding the release of their relatives held in Israeli jails on a so-called Palestinian Prisoner day. It also comes a day after the UN Human Rights Commission (UNHCR) sharply criticised Israel for its treatment of Palestinians and for its settlement of the occupied territories. Administrative detention The human rights monitors say most of the jailed minors have been detained in refugee camps in the West Bank and Gaza as part of Israel's crackdown on terrorist attacks. The monitors say some of them are often held for minor offences, such as throwing stones and writing anti-Israeli slogans. Ms Montell said that many of them are being held in the so-called administrative detention, which allows the Israeli army to detain them indefinitely without trial or charges. "This violates the UN conventions," Ms Montell said, adding that some of the minor inmates have been held for months in inhumane conditions. The UN Convention - signed by Israel - says the arrest and imprisonment of children and minors should be a last resort and for the shortest appropriate time. It also says they should not be jailed with adults.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2955839.stm That's the link. Sorry I forgot to post that with the original article.
Wow, I wonder how many of the current Palestinian terrorists probably went through the exact same thing?
Yeah, everyone knows that Hamas won't let you be a suicide bomber until you are 18. Damn Israeli bastards. You would think they had been fighting a war over there for the past 2 years.
When I was in M.I. school in Ft. Huachuca they told us specifically to watch out for Israeli spies because any Israeli national caught spying on the U.S got shipped back to Israel and never had to worry about being sent to prison like a spy from ANY other country would. Israel is not our friend. The above statements are not some crazy leftwing anti-semite bull****.
I am coming to the conclusion that any international law that Israel actually makes a point to follow is by sheer coincidence.
Even Israel's most staunch defenders have to realize they do some pretty ****ed up **** sometimes. Someone needs to reel them in quick.
The UN Convention - signed by Israel - says the arrest and imprisonment of children and minors should be a last resort and for the shortest appropriate time. It also says they should not be jailed with adults. They signed the convention, now they should live up to it. Maybe the U.S. should start talking regime change in Israel to make sure the U.N. remains relevent. So if it's because of war like you say, that may qualify as a last resort, but the length of time, and not filing any charges or letting them know why they are there is Saddam-like, and totally oppressive. In addition the article states that some of them that did have charges filed, were placed in custody for writing anti-Israeli slogans. Does that make sense to anyone? If a teenager writes something bad about a country, that forbids his own homeland from drilling any new wells for water, under cuts the wells already drilled and then charges them more for their own water than it does it's Israeli citizens. Israel does this and doles out only a fraction of the amount of water to Palestinians than it does to Israelis. If Israel has reasons to arrest them then it's fine to do so, but make sure they go on trial.
Thats Insane?!?! Trying to spy but not facing any penalties if they are caught JUST because they are Isreali? That is crap. They should be locked up like Jonathon Pollard. If Clinton had pardoned that guy I would have been livid.
treeman (and, I guess, Bush) would tell you that countries only have to honor treaties as long as they want to. That if they decide after signing that there's an inconvenient clause, they should ignore having signed it. Or at least they'd tell you that's true for the US. I'm guessing they'd extend that prerogative to our good friends in Israel. Besides, we've had people in jail for over a year here in America without charging them. 9/11 changed everything, haven't you heard? All that old due process and human rights stuff isn't relevant anymore.
Poor Palestinian Youths A child with a weapon(yes, slingshots are weapons) is no longer a child. However, I do not think it is right to jail teenagers with no charges on them. Oh no, you have discovered the large jewish/israeli conspiracy to take over the world. Beware of this post: its purely Zionist propaganda.
Like I said if the youths have done something criminal then I have no problem arresting them. I don't consider writing bad things about an oppressive state a jailable offense though. And if they've done something wrong then bring them to trial. Don't lock them up indefinitely. I thin on those parts we are in agreement, but I just wanted to make my stance as clear as possible.
LMAO. You guys can't have it both ways. Pollard is locked up, and is not going to be released. Since Pollard is in jail, then the story about Israeli spys never being jailed is OBVIOUSLY false.
btw, Israel has been at war since 1947. When the new Palestinian state is created, and Arabs still attack Israel, some of you will finally know the truth about the true Arab motive. The Arabs have never wanted peace. Arab disinformation is the source of their support in the West. The Palestinian children are taught to hate at a very young age. What do you expect from a Palestinian society that supports Saddam, cheers suicide bombers as Israeli teenagers are blown to pieces, and took to the streets in support of the 9/11 highjackers? They should hold these "children" until the new Palestinian state is formed, and give them a real education for the interim.
There are Palestinians that will never be happy with Israel as a state. However, the heads of almost every Arab state, including Arafat, have offered plans in which they recognize Israel as state, and support it's right to exist. There are also Israelis who will never be happy with a Palestinian state, in fact the ruling party in Israel voted to NEVER recognize a Palestinian state. Prior to the war that was going on the day Israel gained independence, Zionists were attacking Palestinian strongholds. The war did not start that day, but actaully had been going on before that. Last summer there were numerous topics on the issue. What I find most disturbing about your post, is that you advocate holding minors in custody without trial, almost as hostages. If that's your idea of justice, you must not believe in the American system. Israel also signed the UN convention, about imprisoning minors. Do you believe they shouldn't keep their word?
re: headshots Did you mean this one? http://zog.to/3/intifada2/victims/HeadShots.htm We don't have habeas corpus here, either, if you're Muslim enough http://www.sptimes.com/2003/04/20/Columns/Go_directly_to_jail__.shtml http://www.oregonlive.com/commentary/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/editorial/104980296250700.xml I am not endorsing what Hawash or Padilla may or may not have done, but I want to know with what they are being charged. Padilla's case in incredible in that the judge will not permit the lawyer to file a motion without Padilla's signature, but the government will not permit the lawyer to get his signature.
The US is throwing away treaties left and right when inconvenient under the Bushies. I especially admire how we can invoke the Geneva Convention except when it applies to us. Why can't our friends do the same?
Arafat is a proven liar, and that is why he is no longer going to lead the Palestinians. Israel and the United States recognize him as a terrorist who cannot be trusted. The majority of Palestinians do not recognize Israel's right to exist. If Israel did not realize that the Palestinians would someday get the occupied lands back, then Israel would have annexed the land. Egypt and Jordan don't want the land back, so use you head and realize that Israel has always planned to trade land for peace. Peace is up to the Arabs, but they don't want peace. You could not possibly be more wrong. These Palestinians are enemy combatants, and they should be treated as such. American would do the exact same thing.
