The Toronto Star examines the problems of newly elected Palestinian “politicians” imprisoned in Israel. Unfortunately, Israel comes across as heavy-handed because reporter Mitch Potter doesn’t indicate why these people are imprisoned in the first place:
A dozen of these new inmate-politicians are in Israeli custody, living among the estimated 9,000 Palestinian detainees in the country’s civilian and military prisons. Another two are incarcerated in the Palestinian city of Jericho, serving sentences under international supervision for offences during the Palestinian uprising that erupted in September 2000.
“Inmate-politicians” under supervision for “offences during the Palestinian uprising?”
The Star notes a veritable rogues gallery of the PA’s newest public officials behind bars including Fatah’s Marwan Barghouti and Abu Ali Yatta (both convicted of murder), Hamas’ Omar Matar and PFLP chief Ahmed Saadat. Only Saadat’s crime—ordering the assassination of tourism minister Rechavam Zeevi, is acknowledged.
