The problematic victory of Hisham Abu-Hawwash
Hisham Abu-Hawwash, father of 5, survived a 141-day hunger strike.
by Kathryn Shihadah
Now that Hisham Abu-Hawwash has ended his hunger strike, Palestinians and their allies are breathing a collective sigh of relief. Abu-Hawash and his family are no doubt beside themselves with jubilation. In the final days of his 141-day fast, it was touch and go. It is indeed a time for celebration.
But there are so many unanswered questions.
A long ordeal
Abu-Hawwash was abducted on October 27, 2020 and handed 3 consecutive 6-month administrative detention orders – the last of which was reduced to 4 months, but could be renewed. That is, he knew from the get-go that he was looking at a minimum of 16 months in prison without charge or trial.
He began his hunger strike immediately, demanding that he be charged or released.
Israel’s security service, the Shin Bet, claimed the father of five worked with a resistance group, but offered no evidence.
Before October, Abu-Hawwash had already spent 8 years of his life in Israeli prison – over half of it in administrative detention.
Administrative detention is, according to international law, to be used only in the rarest cases – but Israel does not use the practice sparingly: Abu- Hawwash was one of 500 such detainees. 499 of them still languish behind bars without being charged or tried. Israel holds over 4,500 Palestinian political prisoners in total.
Q: In what world do police pick up people by the hundreds, throw them in prison, and leave them there indefinitely without even a modicum of due process?
A: In a world of impunity – Israel.
Q: If the Shin Bet is essentially empty-handed, why did they detain him? If after 141 days they still have nothing, why did they keep him?
A: Because, impunity – Israel is answerable to no one. Palestinian lives are playthings in Israel’s hands.
A high price
In a world where police and military are held accountable for their actions, where a government must answer for its policies, a man could not be locked up for months or years without charge. But Israel is not a part of that world.
Israel has essentially admitted that it has nothing on Abu Hawwash, that it kept him in prison unnecessarily. But he will be freed because he wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Thousands of Palestinians have spent time in administrative detention unnecessarily, but they didn’t go on a hunger strike and gain international notoriety. They should be out too.
Abu Hawwash’s health was destroyed – possibly beyond repair – as he waited for his captor to provide the most basic elements of due process. He nearly gave his life for this simple demand: tell me what I did wrong, or let me go.
Those weeks of waiting cost Israel nothing, but nearly cost Abu Hawwash everything.
Most likely, he will not hear an apology or see a shekel of compensation for being wrongfully imprisoned and starved almost to death.
Perhaps, if Israel is forced because of this man’s protest to end the illegal practice of widespread administrative detention, Abu-Hawwash’s sacrifice won’t be in vain – but that’s a big IF.
Israel does what it wants.