The Salt Water Challenge
Today, there are 6300 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons; this number includes 300 children and 500 administrative detainees (those imprisoned without charge or trial).
Since April 17, Palestinian Prisoners Day, more than 1500 of these political prisoners have engaged in an open-ended hunger strike. Today is Day #37. These prisoners have refused to eat food, only consuming salt water to maintain their health, until the Israeli government meets their demands for basic human rights as stipulated by the Geneva Convention. Freedom and dignity are universal rights inherent in humanity – to be enjoyed by all human beings.
The demands of these hunger strikers include:
An end to administrative detention An end to solitary confinement An end to the denial of family visits Access to proper medical care and treatment, and The right to access distance higher education On Monday, May 22, we stood with Jews Say NO! and the Granny Peace Brigade to join a growing, worldwide, social media campaign – #SaltWaterChallenge – to draw attention to the plight of Palestinian political prisoners. As supporters of these hunger-strikers, we drank salt water to stand in solidarity with those who refuse a life of humiliation.
Now, we challenge you to do the same.
Helaine Meisler and Nic Abramson
Today, there are 6300 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons; this number includes 300 children and 500 administrative detainees (those imprisoned without charge or trial).
Since April 17, Palestinian Prisoners Day, more than 1500 of these political prisoners have engaged in an open-ended hunger strike. Today is Day #37. These prisoners have refused to eat food, only consuming salt water to maintain their health, until the Israeli government meets their demands for basic human rights as stipulated by the Geneva Convention. Freedom and dignity are universal rights inherent in humanity – to be enjoyed by all human beings.
The demands of these hunger strikers include:
An end to administrative detention An end to solitary confinement An end to the denial of family visits Access to proper medical care and treatment, and The right to access distance higher education On Monday, May 22, we stood with Jews Say NO! and the Granny Peace Brigade to join a growing, worldwide, social media campaign – #SaltWaterChallenge – to draw attention to the plight of Palestinian political prisoners. As supporters of these hunger-strikers, we drank salt water to stand in solidarity with those who refuse a life of humiliation.
Now, we challenge you to do the same.
Helaine Meisler and Nic Abramson