Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Grassroots protests


Israeli momentum to have prisoner Gilad Shalit released has taken a new turn given that previous negotiations for the Marwan Barghouti /Shalit exchange seems to have faltered.

The focus of this alternate campaign is Hadarim Detention Centre - the prison which holds Fatah leader Barghouti. Protestors hope to block families of Palestinian prisoners from visiting their relatives inside. The argument for this: why should Palestinian prisoners be allowed visits when Shailt has not even had one visit since his capture in 2006 from Gaza.


Earlier this year the same Israeli group staged demonstrations outside the Israeli prime minister's residence and also tried to prevent fuel tanks from going into the Gaza Strip from Israel to try and make their point.


The visitation rights that the Palestinian prisoners have are believed to be one of the reasons why Hamas is under no pressure to negotiate a prisoner exchange. By bringing this protest movement to the grassroots level, Israeli’s are hoping that Palestinian mother’s will turn into their ambassadors, and champion the cause to have Shalit released.

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