Palestinian Torture of Prisoners: The Story Nicholas Kristof Didn't Investigate

You will recall how in July of 2010 Nicholas Kristof made a pilgrimage to the Palestinian Authority, this time with his family, to report, inter alia, on the weekly demonstration against the separation fence at Bilin (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/opinion/11kristof.html?ref=nicholasdkristof). Kristof proudly reported on having been "stoned and tear-gassed on this trip" and announced that "some Palestinians are dabbling in a strategy of nonviolent resistance that just might be a game-changer."

But instead of the fence, let's talk for a minute about what Kristof didn't have the شجاعة or אומץ or cojones to investigate, which would have required a mere 15-minute detour from Bilin.

An article entitled "PA has been torturing prisoners for years, UK group says" (http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=204763), written by Khaled Abu Toameh for The Jerusalem Post , describes the horrors being perpetrated in Palestinian Authority prisons and places Kristof's contention that "nonviolent resistance . . . might be a game-changer" in proper perspective. As reported by Abu Toameh:

"The Palestinian Authority security forces in the West Bank have been using torture on a widespread and systematic basis for several years, according to a report by the Arab Organization for Human Rights in Britain.

Torture techniques used in PA prisons included shabh (hanging) of all kinds, beatings with cables, pulling out nails, suspension from the ceiling, flogging, kicking, cursing, electric shocks, sexual harassment and the threat of rape, the report found.

. . . .

At least six Palestinians have died under torture in PA prisons and many former detainees have permanent physical disabilities, the report found."

Disturbing? Absolutely, and I hasten to add that the conditions faced by those unfortunates doing time in Hamas prisons, which Kristof also didn't visit this past July while in Gaza, are actually worse.

Hey, Nicholas, how about some nonviolent resistance against the abuses of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas? Do you think it might work? Could this also prove a "game-changer"? Sorry, not a chance. Play these games with the PA or Hamas and the likelihood is that you will also be hanging upside down ("shabh"), or worse.

Meanwhile, Kristof, in the company of his family, prefers to divert our attention to a separation fence, which continues to serve as a highly effective deterrent to suicide bombings (see: http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/html/ct_250308e.htm).