Exploiting the hunger striker
The failed logic of the Israeli medical establishment -- which has insisted it would not force-feed a hunger striker even if his health rapidly deteriorated -- was prominently on display at the High Court of Justice on Sunday. It became abundantly clear that those bleeding hearts were unwilling to save someone's life against his will.
The hearing was held while Palestinian hunger striker Mohammad Allan was lying unconscious in the hospital. Arab MKs had petitioned the court to have him released, and the State Attorney's Office issued a response. It could have issued a categorical no to their request, but it wisely announced that he would be set free if he agreed to stay out of Israel for the next four years. His lawyers quickly turned down that offer even though they didn't consult their client (due to his failing health). Thus, by refusing to force-feed him, the doctors denied him the most important decision of his life. Perhaps had he been conscious he would have been receptive to the proposed deal and considered it a reasonable compromise. Who knows?
Allan's mouthpieces -- politicians and lawyers and perhaps his own family members -- want to bring Israel to its knees. They hope the High Court of Justice will apply more pressure on Israel when it reconvenes on Wednesday.
Every levelheaded person would like to see Allan live; fighting for his life would serve Israel politically. But the Palestinians are less concerned about his well-being. The Palestinians have their own, understandable, reasons: They are waging a war against Israel and are willing to sacrifice many terrorists for this cause. The sporadic knife-wielding terrorists on Route 443 or the suicide bombers that turn into martyrs are mere statistics -- they are a means to an end. That said, Allan's family members have conducted themselves in a disappointing manner, by letting the Palestinian ideologues determine his fate. The family has not sounded the alarm -- not to mention pointed fingers at Hamas -- over his condition. Family members say they would prefer to see him become a burnt offering on the altar called Palestine. Perhaps their stance is a result of Hamas' manhandling.
To paraphrase former Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion: May every Palestinian mother know that she has the right to protect her son even when his life is unnecessarily in jeopardy. Israel would like to see Allan recuperate, as this would serve its interests. Letting the cynical politicians dictate the outcome of this affair would be a colossal mistake. The State Attorney's Office offered the High Court of Justice a humane way out, a fair compromise. Unlike what has been published by some provocative Haaretz columnists, it is Allan's family members and representatives who bear responsibility for his failing health, not Israel.
Several decades ago, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher let Irish prisoners starve themselves to death in prison. Their leaders eventually got the message and agreed to hold peace talks with the government. Israel has put a reasonable and fair compromise on the table. Any other proposal should be met with a resounding Israeli no, lest our prisons become plagued by hunger-striking Palestinian terrorists. Israel should also reassess the merits of administrative detentions. This law enforcement practice is incompatible with justice. Although it would be too early to scrap it altogether, there are various ideas being floated around on how to fix it. Everything should be on the table once the Allan affair is resolved.
טעינו? נתקן! אם מצאתם טעות בכתבה, נשמח שתשתפו אותנו