Blinding Justice: Palestinian Political Prisoner Breaks 55 Day Hunger Strike as Freedom Flotilla Flagship is Raided and Seized. Khader Adnan conducted a hunger strike to protest Israeli oppression and the occupation of Palestine, breaking the fast on his 55th day just as the Israeli government seized, in violation of international law, the Freedom Flotilla flagship
By Dezeray Lynn
On this day, Palestinian political prisoner and freedom fighter, Sheikh Khader Adnan is recovering after breaking a 55 day hunger strike that nearly took his life. Locked in unjust imprisonment in a jail on his people’s stolen land, Adnan launched his second historical hunger strike against the human rights crushing system of Israeli administrative detention- a system that has been decried by millions globally, yet is still implemented daily and is the current reality for over 400 Palestinians, including 13 Palestinian parliamentarians.
Khader, who was arrested last July amidst a depraved Israeli bombing campaign in the besieged Gaza strip, reached a deal with the Israeli government which included his release on July 12th- along with the agreement to not rearrest him under the terms of administrative detention. On Sunday his family was allowed to visit him at the clinic near Tel Aviv, for the first time since he began his hunger strike in protest against his imprisonment. His wife Randa and father declared their intention to join his hunger strike and refused to leave the medical facility until a deal was reached.
As Jawad Boulos, legal counsel for the Ramallah-based Prisoners Club, fought through negotiations for Khader- trying to achieve a deal that would involve face saving measures for Israel, a process that allowed Adnan to endure the agony of starvation for days longer — the converted fishing trawler “Marianne of Gothenburg” and the supporting sailing vessels “Rachel”, “Vittorio” and “Juliano II”, carrying 47 people from 17 countries compiling the Freedom Flotilla III, sailed through open international waters with the intention of breaching the maritime blockade of Gaza to bring needed supplies, solar panels and the priceless cargo of human compassion and solidarity with those strangling through daily life in bombed out Gaza.
With the victory of Khader Adnan’s perilous and brave resistance to his Israeli jailers sending waves of joy through those who fought for his liberation, Israeli naval commandos, in an act of international law
breaking piracy, illegaly stormed the flagship trawler Marianne, arrested all human rights activists aboard and seized the ship, along with its supply of relief cargo. The timing seems perfect for the Israeli government to commit yet another act of illegality and human rights violations whilst millions of eyes were focused on their withdrawal from the unfolding of an eleven month long illegality and human rights violation against a Palestinian father of six young children.
Just as Khader’s starvation, again, dissolved the bars holding him from his family, his life and his land, so should our outcry for Israeli accountability for their continuous transgressions dissolve the blockades of a land wet with the blood of their fallen martyrs and ashen with the debris of their fallen homes, their schools, their hospitals.
In the final released transmission from, Dror Feiler, a crew member of the Marianne, seen here: “If you are seeing this message, it means that Israel has broken international law again… it means that we are sitting there waiting on you to act, we are waiting our governments to act. But we can promise you one thing, we will be back.”
Israel’s crimes continue to proliferate under the threadbare shroud of total impunity. But the impunity is as breachable as their border blockades into besieged territories. They may seize a ship from the quiet waves of night as we breathe collective relief for the demanded and received reprieve of a Palestinian hero, but the tidal wave of international uprising approaches. The illegal capture of the Marianne and her crew is our continued call to action.
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.
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