Riding back from El Khalil [Hebron] to Beit Sahour in a bus in early December, Martha and Joe were sitting near a friendly young woman with whom we conversed in English.   The woman, Shifa’ Sarahneh, is a young medical student at Abu Dis University, doing her clinical courses in a private hospital in El Khalil, a city about an hour south of Bethlehem.   She told us about her family of eight, which includes two brothers who are also medical students and one brother who is a dental student.   The other four are younger and not yet in college.  We thought, “What an amazing family.”

Since the family lives in Abu Dis – east of Jerusalem, not inside Jerusalem -- the young people in the family attend Abu Dis University.  They do not have the option to attend any of the nearby Jerusalem universities.    The construction of the three-story apartheid wall along the border between Abu Dis and Jerusalem, which removes over 6,000 dunums [about 1500 acres] of arable land from Abu Dis' total area, has made it difficult for Abu Dis' residents to access Jerusalem's services without a permit. Most residents of Abu Dis have Jerusalem identification cards, but travel to and from Jerusalem is difficult because of the illegal wall and checkpoints. [1]  

Shifa’ told us that her father, Mohammed Sarahneh, a high school math teacher who worked six hours every day after school tutoring to support his family, had recently been imprisoned.  This was his eighth imprisonment in as many years.  His family sometimes felt that they did not know their father because they saw him so seldom. He had been given a six-month prison sentence that could be repeated.   Shifa’s mother is a teacher, but brings in little income because public school teachers are not being paid.

Shifa’ would like to have studied in a Jerusalem hospital because it was more advanced medically than the Hebron hospital where she is studying, but since she does not have a Jerusalem ID card, she is not allowed to enter Jerusalem to do her course work at this hospital.  Whereas the Jerusalem hospital would be a half hour bus ride, the ride to the Hebron hospital is more costly, can take a couple hours and requires two buses.   

Shifa’ was aware of Christmas and Chanukah as a family holiday, although she is a Muslim.  She mentioned the Muslim festival of Ead-Aladha which is celebrated this year near the time of Christmas.  It is a happy family holiday for Muslims who visit one another and share their joys.  She said she is especially sad at this time of year because, since her father has been put in prison, none of the family has had any contact with him, and none of them know if the six months’ imprisonment will be extended another six months.  Since we met Shifa, she emailed us that her father has been moved to a more distant prison.   Her father is not well and needs treatment, but Shifa doubts that he will receive the treatment he needs. Shifa’s four-year-old sister, Boshra, continually asks for her father, pleading with her mother to bring him home.  Her mother tries to explain, but Boushra does not understand and cries for her father. 

Shifa is worried for her father, but also for the economic and psychological well being of the family.  Her father was never given a reason for his imprisonment.   There was no trial.   The family does not know why he has been arrested now or in the past.  Shifa’ showed us a picture of her father dressed up in a suit and tie.   She was very fond of him. 

When Martha told her she would write up her story as she told it to her to inform others in the USA of the circumstances of her father’s imprisonment and lack of recourse, she became very excited.  It appeared that she thought we could do something to cause his immediate release.   Martha informed her that that probably would not happen because getting prisoners released usually takes action by a large organization like Amnesty International.  However, we told her we wanted Americans to know the plight of the many Palestinian men who are imprisoned, many for protesting the illegal occupation.  Her father’s story is similar to ones we have heard from other Palestinians.  Acting violently or nonviolently, guilty or innocent, they are punished.

Recently 429 Palestinians had been released by the Israeli government as a gesture of good will for the Annapolis meetings.[2]   Regrettably, Shifa’s  father was not one of those released.[3]

Living conditions for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons are generally described by observers as extremely harsh and difficult.  Palestinian prisoners are subjected to widespread ill-treatment such as kicking, beatings, squalid conditions and deprivation of food and drink. Prisoners with chronic medical conditions do not receive satisfactory treatment. The abuses are considered inhumane and even torture by Norwegian and other human rights groups.[4]  

Since 1967 about 40 percent of all Palestinian males (including children and the elderly, or approximately 650,000 Palestinians) have spent time in Israeli prisons.[5]  It is difficult to meet Palestinian males above a certain age who have not done time in an Israeli prison. Nearly all the prisoners freed this year are from Abbas' Fatah movement.[6]   

Skepticism about peace negotiations runs deep on both sides in Israel and Palestine, even among those awaiting the released  prisoners.   Many Palestinians viewed the release as part of a revolving-door cycle - prisoners are released, but others are taken in the next days or sentences extended. [7]

Shifa has little hope in Annapolis mainly because during other peace meetings, Israel just covered up its unjust practices. She stated that as long as there is occupation, there can be no peace in this land.

Readers concerned about Mohammed Sarahneh may write to their U.S. representative and senators, asking them to demand of the Israeli government an explanation for the long imprisonment of Mr. Sarahneh. Israel should reveal what he is charged with, if anything, when he will receive due process, and whether his family and an attorney have access to him.