A New Letter from Palestinian Prisoner Samer al-Issawi

by Ahrar News

My story is not different from many of the young Palestinians stories who were born and lived under the Israeli occupation. I was arrested for the first time when I was (17 years old), and I was imprisoned for two years.

Then I was arrested again when I was in the early twenties of my age, at the height of the second Intifada in Ramallah, during the Israeli invasion of many cities in the West Bank – in what it called “Operation Defensive Shield”, and I was sentenced to 30 years for anti-Israeli occupation activity.

I wasn’t the first individual to be imprisoned in my family’s members during the march to freedom, my grandfather, who was a member in the Palestine Liberation Organization, was ruled to death at the hands of the British Mandate authorities, Israel still uses the British laws to this day in order to suppress the Palestinians, but my grandfather was able to escape only hours before the scheduled time of execution, and then my brother Fadi was killed in 1994, at the age of (16 years), by the hands of Israeli forces during a demonstration in the West Bank after the massacre of the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron.

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My brother Dr. Medhat spent (19 years) in prison, also my other brothers were jailed, Firas, Shadi and Rafat for periods ranging between 5 and 11 years.

Released to be rearrested

My sister, Shireen, was arrested many times, and spent a year in prison, my brother’s home was destroyed, and the occupation cut the water and electricity for my mother’s home. My family exposed, along with the rest of the people of my loved city “Jerusalem”, to harassment, persecution and attack constantly, but they are still defending Palestinian rights and the Palestinian prisoners, after nearly 10 years spent in prison, I was released in the deal, sponsored by Egypt between Israel and Hamas, which included the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.

However, I was arrested again on July 7, 2012 near Hazma, an area located within the municipality of Jerusalem, on charges of violating conditions of my release (I should not leave the city of Jerusalem), others liberated prisoners in the deal were also arrested some of them without any stated reason for the arrest.

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Accordingly, I began a hunger strike on 1 August to protest the illegal imprisonment by Israeli authorities who didn’t respect the deal. My health has deteriorated, but I will continue the hunger strike until victory or martyrdom, this is the last stone to throw in the faces of the jailers who are humiliating our people.

I derive my strength from all the Liberals in the world, who want to put an end to the Israeli occupation, and still my weak heart beats and bears thanks to the solidarity and support; and my weak voice draws its strength from voice that is louder than the warden’s voice and higher than the walls, I do not go into the battle for freedom for my personality only, but my colleagues Ayman, Tariq and Jaafar, are fighting a battle for all Palestinians against the Israeli occupation and its prisons.

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What I stand is little compared to the sacrifices of the Palestinians in Gaza, where thousands were killed and injured as a result of the brutal Israeli attacks and the brutal siege which is unprecedented and inhumane.

However, there is still a need for more support, Israel can’t continue to suppress without the support it receives from Western governments, especially the British, a historic responsibility for the tragedy of my people, and should imposes sanctions against Israel until the end of the Israeli occupation and recognizes the rights of the Palestinians, and the release of all Palestinian political prisoners.

Do not worry if my heart stops, I am still alive now and even after death, because Jerusalem is in my veins.

If I died, it is a victory, and if I freed, it is also a victory, because I am rejected in both cases to surrender to the Israeli occupation, and it’s tyranny and arrogance. (T/P02/E1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

Source : http://ahrar.ps/e/?p=2766