Palestinian-American boy, 14, locked up in Israeli military jail

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Palestinian-American boy, 14, locked up in Israeli military jail

A Palestinian was arrested last week for allegedly throwing stones and is being held in an Israeli jail, a mundane and daily occurrence in the occupied West Bank. But this case has made headlines--and it’s because the Palestinian is a 14-year-old who also has American citizenship.

New Orleans-born Mohammed Khalek was taken from his home last week by eight rifle-toting Israeli soldiers. He’s accused of throwing stones at Israeli cars near Silwad, northeast of Ramallah. Khalek has yet to be charged, and his detention has been extended until April 14. Addameer advocacy officer Randa Wahbe told Haaretz that Khlaek “was told by interrogators that if he confessed to rock throwing quickly, he would be released.”

Khalek’s case has garnered coverage in the Associated Press and Reuters. The media outlets are highlighting how Khalek’s case is an example of Palestinian children routinely being locked up in Israeli military jails.

Reuters’ Noah Browning reports that Khalek appeared in jail with “his ankles shackled together just above his running shoes.” Browning also reports that the boy’s father, Abdulwahab Khalek, said that Mohammed “was maltreated and had his braces broken from his teeth during the course of his arrest in the early hours of April 5.”

“The Israeli military's treatment of Mohammed Khalak is appalling and all too common,” Human Rights Watch’s Bill Van Esveld told Reuters. “There's no justification for ... shackling him for 12 hours and interrogating him while refusing to let him see his father or a lawyer.”

The Associated Press story notes that a United Nations report recently castigated the Israeli military for its abuses of the rights of Palestinian children. 700 Palestinian children a year are arrested by the Israeli military, according to UNICEF. Here’s more from the report:

Ill-treatment of Palestinian children in the Israeli military detention system appears to be widespread, systematic and institutionalized...

The pattern of ill-treatment includes the arrests of children at their homes between midnight and 5:00 am by heavily armed soldiers; the practice of blindfolding children and tying their hands with plastic ties; physical and verbal abuse during transfer to an interrogation site, including the use of painful restraints; lack of access to water, food, toilet facilities and medical care; interrogation using physical violence and threats; coerced confessions; and lack of access to lawyers or family members during interrogation.

Treatment inconsistent with child rights continues during court appearances, including shackling of children; denial of bail and imposition of custodial sentences; and transfer of children outside occupied Palestinian territory to serve their sentences inside Israel. The incarceration isolates them from their families and interrupts their studies.

These practices are in violation of international law that protects all children against ill-treatment when in contact with law enforcement, military and judicial institutions.

The boy’s father lashed out at the American government’s response to his son’s arrest in an interview with Reuters. “The U.S. government is obligated to do something for us, but it doesn't even care. They've lost the issue somewhere in their back pocket,” he told the news outlet.

The indifference is to be expected. American citizens mistreated by the Israeli military are denied adequate help by the U.S. government. For instance, the U.S. government waited three days to contact the family of Furkan Dogan, who was executed at point-blank range on board the Mavi Marmara, the aid ship part of the 2010 flotilla trying to break the blockade of Gaza. Dogan was a U.S. citizen of Turkish descent. The U.S. declined to investigate the death of Dogan, preferring to allow Israel to do so itself.

http://mondoweiss.net/2013/04/palestinian-american-military.html

Edited April 15, 2013 by wife_of_mahmoud

[GandD 5,966]

What do you think would happen to an American child arrested for throwing rocks at cars in China? Shackles and beatings are WAY too far I agree. But I bet you would get similar treatment in China depending on your level of resistance.

[JstaRebel 48]

What do you think would happen to an American child arrested for throwing rocks at cars in China? Shackles and beatings are WAY too far I agree. But I bet you would get similar treatment in China depending on your level of resistance.

Ya know, I asked the same question when a man on Yahoo posted that "the boy was a security threat to the state of Israel".. Yeah right,, Automatic weapons against rocks and slingshots... Also, why are the Palestinians not allowed "due process"?

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

What do you think would happen to an American child arrested for throwing rocks at cars in China? Shackles and beatings are WAY too far I agree. But I bet you would get similar treatment in China depending on your level of resistance.

Unless you are really trying to equate the Israeli legal system to China's, the pertinent question actually is: how are Jewish children who are accused of the same crime of throwing stones treated by Israel's legal system ?

Are they arrested at their homes between midnight and 5:00 am by heavily armed soldiers? Are they blindfolded and restrained with plastic ties ? Are they physically and verbally abused during transfer to an interrogation site, including the use of painful restraints ? Are they denied access to water, food, toilet facilities and medical care ? Are they interrogated using physical violence and threats ? Are they subjected to coerced confessions, and the lack of access to lawyers or family members during interrogation ? Are they shackled during court appearances ? Are they denied bail ? If they were, would it violate their rights ?

As the OP article stated:

These practices are in violation of international law that protects all children against ill-treatment when in contact with law enforcement, military and judicial institutions.

There are countless incidents of Jewish settler children caught on camera throwing stones at Palestinians, even while Israeli soldiers stand by and do nothing. None of them are subjected to the type of abuses that the Israeli military justice system routinely commits against Palestinian children - in fact, Jewish settler children are rarely even "questioned." I challenge you to find any documented instance of this type of treatment of Jewish children in Israeli military or civil courts.

These are not isolated incidents.

Edited April 15, 2013 by wife_of_mahmoud

[GandD 5,966]

No I'm not trying to equate the two.

I was speaking more to this point

American citizens mistreated by the Israeli military are denied adequate help by the U.S. government. For instance, the U.S. government waited three days to contact the family of Furkan Dogan, who was executed at point-blank range on board the Mavi Marmara, the aid ship part of the 2010 flotilla trying to break the blockade of Gaza. Dogan was a U.S. citizen of Turkish descent. The U.S. declined to investigate the death of Dogan, preferring to allow Israel to do so itself.

I assumed this was to show that the American government was more lenient to the Israelis. My thought was that if a similar situation happened in China, the American govt would do little to support a citizen accused of breaking another country's law.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

No I'm not trying to equate the two.

I was speaking more to this point

I assumed this was to show that the American government was more lenient to the Israelis. My thought was that if a similar situation happened in China, the American govt would do little to support a citizen accused of breaking another country's law.

Part of it is about the apparent lack of any concern on the part of the US government regarding the abuse of US citizens in Israeli custody. But the main part of the OP is specifically about the abuse of children, and how it is routine under the Israeli military court system - which uses tactics which are in direct violation of international laws and conventions that prohibit these types of abuses.

Imagine if it was a 14-year-old Jewish child. Imagine that armed Palestinian soldiers barge into his home in the middle of the night, drag him out of his bed and arrest him in front of his parents, smashing his braces in the process, parade him around in shackles, prevent him from exercising his right to legal counsel and his right to have a parent or guardian present during his interrogation, deprive him of access to toilet facilities, water or food for lengthy periods of time ? How would you feel if your child was subjected to this type of treatment ? Would you say oh well it happens in China ???

Normal, sane nations do not use these tactics against a child accused of throwing stones.

[GandD 5,966]

Part of it is about the apparent lack of any concern on the part of the US government regarding the abuse of US citizens in Israeli custody. But the main part of the OP is specifically about the abuse of children, and how it is routine under the Israeli military court system - which uses tactics which are in direct violation of international laws and conventions that prohibit these types of abuses.

Imagine if it was a 14-year-old Jewish child. Imagine that armed Palestinian soldiers barge into his home in the middle of the night, drag him out of his bed and arrest him in front of his parents, smashing his braces in the process, parade him around in shackles, prevent him from exercising his right to legal counsel and his right to have a parent or guardian present during his interrogation, deprive him of access to toilet facilities, water or food for lengthy periods of time ? How would you feel if your child was subjected to this type of treatment ? Would you say oh well it happens in China ???

Normal, sane nations do not use these tactics against a child accused of throwing stones.

I suppose I'd be really mad and active against it.

I'm not trying to downplay the incident. In fact the incident is so deplorable that I can't really even challenge any part of the treatment of the child based on a minor infraction.

BUT, the part where it suggested US indifference based on the country involved is where I got off the bus. Wouldn't you say similar incidents happen in many different countries? And wouldn't you say that the United States does little if anything to support citizens accused of breaking a sovereign nation's laws?

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

I suppose I'd be really mad and active against it.

I'm not trying to downplay the incident. In fact the incident is so deplorable that I can't really even challenge any part of the treatment of the child based on a minor infraction.

BUT, the part where it suggested US indifference based on the country involved is where I got off the bus. Wouldn't you say similar incidents happen in many different countries? And wouldn't you say that the United States does little if anything to support citizens accused of breaking a sovereign nation's laws?

According to the US Department of State,

We can and do monitor conditions in foreign prisons and can protest allegations of abuse against U.S. citizen prisoners when requested to do so. We work with prison officials to ensure treatment consistent with internationally recognized standards of human rights and to ensure that Americans are afforded due process under local laws.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/emergencies/arrest/arrest_3879.html

This case meets all those conditions, and the requests have been made, beginning with requests from the boy's family's lawyer.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

By the way, the conviction rate for Palestinian children tried in the Israeli military court system is 99.88%.

This is even higher than the 99.74% conviction rate for all Palestinians tried through Israeli military courts.

By the way, the alleged infraction did not take place in sovereign Israel, it took place in the illegally occupied West Bank.

[GandD 5,966]

By the way, the alleged infraction did not take place in sovereign Israel, it took place in the illegally occupied West Bank.

Well, that is a matter of some dispute no doubt.

According to the US Department of State,

This case meets all those conditions, and the requests have been made, beginning with requests from the boy's family's lawyer.

You're assuming the US follows its own guidelines all the time. I feel like that's more of a PR statement than a guarantee.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Well, that is a matter of some dispute no doubt.

It's disputed by Israel. Nobody else disputes it, including the US.

You're assuming the US follows its own guidelines all the time. I feel like that's more of a PR statement than a guarantee.

Well then it's all ok then ! In fact, why even have laws that protect children's rights ?

[GandD 5,966]

Well then it's all ok then ! In fact, why even have laws that protect children's rights ?

Its not ok.

International law is impossible to enforce. I think that when it comes to international diplomacy, backroom deals, trade offs, and PR statements to save face or posture are the norm. I don't think nations can deal with each other in the strict sense of the law. I also don't think this is always a good thing (in fact you've pointed out a specific example of when it isn't) but I think its more normal with most international relations than you are letting on. I guess my point is, you're right, but Israel isn't the only country that does stuff like this. Can you acknowledge that?

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Its not ok.

International law is impossible to enforce. I think that when it comes to international diplomacy, backroom deals, trade offs, and PR statements to save face or posture are the norm. I don't think nations can deal with each other in the strict sense of the law. I also don't think this is always a good thing (in fact you've pointed out a specific example of when it isn't) but I think its more normal with most international relations than you are letting on. I guess my point is, you're right, but Israel isn't the only country that does stuff like this. Can you acknowledge that?

No, international law is not impossible to enforce. It has been enforced many times via various strategies - military force, economic sanctions, etc. Gulf War I and South Africa are just two examples of enforcing international law against the will of the regime in power.

Israel is not the only country that violates international law. However, it's the only violator that's receiving 1/3 of all US foreign aid.

Here is Silwad - note that it is deep within the West Bank:

Do you know why Israeli soldiers are there ?

[GandD 5,966]

Do you know why Israeli soldiers are there ?

Because Israel annexed the West Bank during the 6 day war?

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Because Israel annexed the West Bank during the 6 day war?

When did this happen ????????