RantCrush Top 5: April 18, 2017

More than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israel have started a hunger strike to protest their living conditions. Marwan Barghouti, an outspoken and prominent prisoner who is seen as a leader, led the strike and was reportedly moved from his usual cell to solitary confinement. He was allegedly punished for smuggling a text he wrote out of prison, in which he describes the way Israelis treat Palestinians. “Israel has established a dual legal regime, a form of judicial apartheid, that provides virtual impunity for Israelis who commit crimes against Palestinians, while criminalizing Palestinian presence and resistance,” he wrote in the essay, which was published in the New York Times.

Palestinian prisoners: How Israeli soldiers interrogated me https://t.co/rphdRjLcdw pic.twitter.com/8iXifYy9Dk

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) April 18, 2017

Also yesterday, several protests erupted in support of the prisoners. And even though Barghouti belongs to Palestine’s leading Fatah party, several members of the rival party (and terrorist organization) Hamas said they supported him and would participate in the strike. Israeli officials’ only comment was that strikes and protests are illegal and that the prisoners will be disciplined.

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.