PALESTINIANS COMMEMORATE PRISONERS' DAY

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000700 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WATERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL KPAL KWBG SUBJECT: PALESTINIANS COMMEMORATE PRISONERS' DAY REF: A. 2006 JERUSALEM 3239 ¶B. 2006 JERUSALEM 3021 CLASSIFIED BY: CONSUL GENERAL JAKE WALLES, PER REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (U) PALESTINIAN POLITICAL LEADERS COMMEMORATED PALESTINIAN PRISONERS' DAY (APRIL 17) WITH RALLIES AND PRESS STATEMENTS. RALLIES WERE HELD THROUGHOUT THE WEST BANK AND GAZA, INCLUDING AT ICRC OFFICES IN GAZA CITY AND RAMALLAH. PM HANNIYEH ADDRESSED HUNDREDS OF PRISONERS' RELATIVES IN GAZA CITY ON APRIL 16, URGING THE GOI TO EXCHANGE PALESTINIANS IN ISRAELI PRISONS FOR CAPTURED ISRAELI SOLDIER GILAD SHALIT. HANNIYEH EMPHASIZED THAT FATAH LEADER MARWAN BARGHUTHI IS AMONG THE PRISONERS WHOM THE PA HAS ASKED THE GOI TO RELEASE. OTHER PALESTINIAN FACTIONS ALSO USED THE OCCASION OF PRISONERS' DAY TO CALL FOR A PRISONERS' EXCHANGE WITH ISRAEL. HAMAS, THE POPULAR RESISTANCE COMMITTEES, ISLAMIC JIHAD, AL-AQSA MARTYRS' BRIGADES, AND THE POPULAR FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINE ISSUED A JOINT PRESS STATEMENT ON APRIL 16 SAYING THEY WILL WORK TOGETHER TO CAPTURE MORE ISRAELI SOLDIERS TO EXCHANGE FOR PALESTINIAN PRISONERS. ¶2. (U) ON APRIL 17, THE PALESTINIAN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (PLC) HELD A SPECIAL SESSION TO DISCUSS PALESTINIANS IN ISRAELI PRISONS AND TO DEBATE HOW TO ATTRACT GREATER INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION TO THEIR SITUATION. SPEAKING AT A GAZA CITY RALLY, PM HANNIYEH STRESSED THAT "FREEING THE PALESTINIAN PRISONERS REMAINS THE MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL CAUSES AND REPRESENTS THE GOVERNMENTS AND THE PRESIDENTS FIRST PRIORITY." PALESTINIANS ALSO MARKED THE DAY WITH SEMINARS AND FAMILY VISITS TO PRISONERS. ¶3. (U) THE PALESTINIAN PRESS CARRIED EDITORIALS AND OTHER STORIES RELATED TO PRISONERS ON APRIL 17. THE PALESTINIAN DAILY AL-QUDS CALLED ON "THE LEADERSHIP AND THE ENTIRE SOCIETY TO INCREASE SUPPORT AND EXPRESS SOCIAL SOLIDARITY WITH THE FAMILIES OF THE PRISONERS." PALESTINIAN DAILY "AL-AYYAM" FEATURED AN EDITORIAL CALLING FOR THE PALESTINIAN PRISONERS' ISSUE TO BE BROUGHT BEFORE THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE. ALL THREE PALESTINIAN DAILIES COVERED A REPORT FROM THE PALESTINIAN PRISONERS' SOCIETY IN HEBRON THAT INCLUDES THE CLAIM THAT ONE IN THREE PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN DETAINED IN ISRAELI JAILS SINCE 1967. ACCORDING TO THIS REPORT, ALMOST 11,000 PALESTINIANS ARE NOW INCARCERATED IN ISRAELI PRISONS WITH 9,428 FROM THE WEST BANK, 850 FROM GAZA, AND 525 FROM JERUSALEM. (NOTE: ACCORDING TO THE ISRAELI PRISON AUTHORITY, THERE ARE 9213 PALESTINIANS IN ISRAELI PRISONS. END NOTE.) ¶4. (C) COMMENT: THIS ISSUE HAS ENORMOUS POPULAR, POLITICAL RESONANCE AMONG PALESTINIANS. THE ABSENCE OF PA PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS (ABU MAZEN) -- CURRENTLY ON A TWO WEEK, TEN COUNTRY TRIP TO EUROPE-- ON THIS OCCASION CEDES POLITICAL SPACE TO PM HANNIYEH AND DOES NOT HELP ABBAS OR FATAH TO REGAIN TOUCH WITH THE ELECTORATE. END COMMENT. WALLES