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Comments:  127
Last update - 22:09 29/03/2009
Israel to strip Hamas prisoners' rights as pressure over Shalit
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Hamas, Gilad Shalit 

The cabinet on Sunday voted in favor of imposing sanctions on Hamas prisoners held in Israel, in efforts to pressure the Islamist organization to release Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, held captive in Gaza since June 2006.

The spokesman of Hamas' military wing, Abu Obeida, threatened that the move would strengthen the Islamist group.

The decision "exposes Israel's distress," said Abu Obeida, adding that it would "only strengthen the organization's insistence on the conditions set for Shalit's release."
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Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann recommended stripping the Palestinian prisoners of all privileges not anchored in Israeli or international law, such as an education, television, newspapers and radio.

The Israel Prisons service announced at the weekly cabinet meeting that the recommendations will go into effect in the near future. The sanctions will include drastic limitations on family visits and the revocation of the opportunity to take high school matriculation exams or study at the open university.

In addition to sanctions on entertainment media, the prisoners will be subject to stricter guidelines regarding the transfer of money for use at the prison canteen.

During the meeting, Friedmann briefed the cabinet on legislature that would have to be instituted in order to take further steps. "It is true that we are the only democracy in the Middle East, but we can't let ourselves become the only suckers and we mustn't show weakness," Friedmann said.

Ahead of the meeting, Kadima Minister Meir Sheetrit said that "it is not conscionable that Shalit is living there without being able to see his parents, while Hamas prisoners live here almost like in a summer camp."

Mounir Mansour, the head of the Palestinian Prisoners Committee, said Sunday that the Hamas prisoners were considering taking extreme measures in response, including an unlimited hunger strike in every Israeli prison. The prisoners' families have also voiced readiness to take steps to identify with the prisoners.

Mansour told Israel Radio that the Israel Prisons Service began revoking privileges several days ago, before the cabinet approved the move, especially at the prison in central Israel. Their personal belongings were seized, Mansour said, they were prevented from seeing their families, they were not allowed to watch several Arabic-language television channels and several prisoners were put in solitary confinement.

According to Mansour, these steps will not expedite the release of Gilad Shalit, but rather will only exacerbate the already existing tensions within the prisons.

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      1.   I wouldn`t hope this government could do this 14:14  |  shlomo 29/03/09
      2.   Don`t believe a word - it won`t happen 14:21  |  Aussie Michael 29/03/09
      3.   More proof of incitement and collective punishment 14:22  |  Guy NYC 29/03/09
      4.   Guy NYC just giving them their rights with no frills 14:41  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 29/03/09
      5.   Israel, did you think about the consequences....???? 14:48  |  Swiss (Dino) 29/03/09
      6.   Equal treatment for Shalit 15:02  |  Steven 29/03/09
      7.   Yes Dino the consequence could be to give Shalit the minimum 15:10  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 29/03/09
      8.   Why does Israel love playing Victim 15:15  |  Labhras 29/03/09
      9.   Hamas 15:15  |  j10 29/03/09
      10.   It`s just Israelis being Israelis 15:21  |  Natallie Durson 29/03/09
      11.   Guy NYC 15:41  |  Libra 29/03/09
      12.   Margie has the inside story... 15:47  |  Stephen 29/03/09
      13.   Mz Durson in LA, CA. 15:58  |  Ali Boobalikin 29/03/09
      14.   To Natalie D 16:03  |  Purple Canary 29/03/09
      15.   This stupid move will only boomerang onto Shalit... 16:10  |  Esther 29/03/09
      16.   When will Israel understand.... 16:21  |  Joe 29/03/09
      17.   Purple Canary--Israel already violating every tenet 16:23  |  Labhras 29/03/09
      18.   Reciprocity 16:37  |  Paul 29/03/09
      19.   Israel just won`t be satisfied... 16:42  |  BBSNews 29/03/09
      20.   Israel should have done this a long time ago 16:46  |  Conroy 29/03/09
      21.   Hunger Strike? 16:50  |  Jon 29/03/09
      22.   #5 Swiss Dino on Muslim hospitality 16:52  |  Conroy 29/03/09
      23.   If PA-Hamas prisoners declare a hunger strike . . . 16:54  |  Wendy 29/03/09
      24.   about time too 17:04  |  George 29/03/09
      25.   NOW IT IS OPEN SEASON ON SHALIT 17:06  |  Art 29/03/09
      26.   Stephen imbecile 17:09  |  George 29/03/09
      27.   Riight On Israel, and question to Natalie Nutson 17:09  |  JP 29/03/09
      28.   Right On Israel, and question to Natalie Nutson 17:10  |  JP 29/03/09
      29.   Shy Israel permits rights to terrorists? Nonsese,WAKE UP 17:13  |  JP 29/03/09
      30.   To No 14, Good post Natalie 17:30  |  Abe 29/03/09
      31.   Pressure for shalit? #13 17:39  |  North American 29/03/09
      32.   Stephen # 12 Shalit`s Treatment 17:41  |  Jeff Northridge 29/03/09
      33.   its about time 18:02  |  peter 29/03/09
      34.   #5 - Suisse on limits 18:03  |  SG 29/03/09
      35.   It`s just Natalie being Natalie 18:04  |  Darryl 29/03/09
      36.   Durson claims Arabs don`t care 18:07  |  peter 29/03/09
      37.   They should be real males and hunger strike to the end. 18:21  |  PigsundMonkeys 29/03/09
      38.   Guy NYC - Of course they do. They are part of the same 18:34  |  Ben 29/03/09
      39.   Revoking prisoners` rights. 18:36  |  sandra chitayat. 29/03/09
      40.   gilad shalit 18:40  |  Daveyboy 29/03/09
      41.   Abe - Hamas did not let the Red Cross to see Shalit. I don`t 18:46  |  Ben 29/03/09
      42.   Three tricks in Durson`s set of tools 18:51  |  Israeli citizen 29/03/09
      43.   # 25 SG - congenital antisemite DINO started as white gown 18:52  |  17 29/03/09
      44.   North American:"acknowledge people thrown out" 18:54  |  Arie 29/03/09
      45.   Prisoners rights 3th attempt 18:59  |  Hans 29/03/09
      46.   Guy in NY,,,,there members of Hamas,the ones who kidnapped Shalit 19:00  |  whine some more 29/03/09
      47.   Let `em hunger strike - it will save the taxpayers money 19:00  |  B`galil 29/03/09
      48.   #24 North American 19:02  |  Ali Boobalikin 29/03/09
      49.   l;abrat,what no condemnation of hamas treatment of shalit? 19:03  |  STFU labrat 29/03/09
      50.   durston the only difference it will make is hamas terrorist won`t 19:06  |  fair play 29/03/09
      51.   George #20 remember one thing,payback will be hell!!! 19:10  |  revenge IS sweet 29/03/09
      52.   You can`t have family visits for Hamas 19:10  |  ABDUL 29/03/09
      53.   Israel behaved to be called less human but less stupid 19:29  |  Bhaskar 29/03/09
      54.   NOTHING WILL CHANGE 19:41  |  indrajaya 29/03/09
      55.   Prisoners Rights aren`t subject to change and sanctions 19:42  |  Dutch 29/03/09
      56.   let the die in a hunger strike, please include durson 19:56  |  charro 29/03/09
      57.   It always amazes me... 19:58  |  Guido 29/03/09
      58.   Conroy in Philadelphia 20:09  |  joan 29/03/09
      59.   Guy NYC: Collective Punishment, Not! 20:14  |  Brad 29/03/09
      60.   Guido,It always amazes me that people like you are so 20:19  |  amazement 4 sure 29/03/09
      61.   Durson 20:20  |  Brad 29/03/09
      62.   COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT 20:25  |  Ed 29/03/09
      63.   #48 It always amazes me how stupid you can be 20:47  |  x-ray 29/03/09
      64.   iSRAEL is not a serious country 20:51  |  PARIS 29/03/09
      65.   Why this will affect Shalit 21:15  |  Jon 29/03/09
      66.   No stress just practicalities 21:18  |  JO 29/03/09
      67.   these people are already in jail 21:27  |  rm 29/03/09
      68.   I don`t think the Arabs really give a damn. Only the Jews care . 21:27  |  Jew 29/03/09
      69.   Right 21:28  |  Colin Wright 29/03/09
      70.   THis is not going to work 21:30  |  Mark Lincoln 29/03/09
      71.   To Guido $48 `It always amazes me` 21:31  |  Colin Wright 29/03/09
      72.   There is nothing new in the Israeli physche 21:31  |  Labhras 29/03/09
      73.   nobody knows how Shalit is treated 21:32  |  rm 29/03/09
      74.   To Mark Lincoln (# 61). That depends what you mean by "work". 21:50  |  flyingdoc57 29/03/09
      75.   Israel to strip prisoners rights 21:59  |  Yvonne 29/03/09
      76.   So, #62? Americans born in W. Bank get US vote, Arabs there don`t 22:02  |  Dr. L. Brnd 29/03/09
      77.   Eye for Eye 22:40  |  Nat Weinstein 29/03/09
      78.   #58 Sorry Joan if have no sympathy for child murderers 22:45  |  Conroy 29/03/09
      79.   GUY from NY Hamas prisoners have plenty to do with it 22:47  |  PETER SM 29/03/09
      80.   Hamas Wants Only to Humiliate Israel 22:48  |  Fish 29/03/09
      81.   Shalit the captive pawn 23:08  |  Denis C. Gray 29/03/09
      82.   What next ? Clueless ?? 23:13  |  David 29/03/09
      83.   ABOUT frigging time! Good for you Israel. Better that 1 leader 23:16  |  Jae 29/03/09
      84.   Conroy #78 23:17  |  joan 29/03/09
      85.   Swiss (Dino), I`ll take the `lousy` Israeli hospitality any day 23:21  |  Dan 29/03/09
      86.   Why dont we do unto Hamas as Hamas has done unto us? 23:21  |  JewsRTHEAboriginals 29/03/09
      87.   Labhras, why do Arabs play victims 23:22  |  Dan 29/03/09
      88.   Mark Lincoln and the others should wake up 23:36  |  Christopher 29/03/09
      89.   #25 Art 23:47  |  JoJo 29/03/09
      90.   Conroy #78 23:52  |  joan 29/03/09
      91.   I was a guard in one of these prisons.....poor babies 23:52  |  Jewish State 29/03/09
      92.   Rights? What rights do political prisoners in Israel have? 23:54  |  peacelover 29/03/09
      93.   Swiss Dino 00:02  |  Arnold 30/03/09
      94.   Absolutely right Guy in New York 00:16  |  Marlene N. 30/03/09
      95.   Esther from Tel Aviv 00:20  |  Connie 30/03/09
      96.   Misleading headline 00:29  |  JoJo 30/03/09
      97.   Why not torture? 00:32  |  Fred 30/03/09
      98.   Sick of all of you Hamas lovers 00:32  |  Arnold 30/03/09
      99.   BS News #19 and if he is "thrown over the wall" you and the other 01:00  |  ignorant moron 30/03/09
      100.   Colpun 01:06  |  jjvanka 30/03/09
      101.   joan,joan joan Re:conroy,did you miss the article last week in 01:23  |  stirring ur BS joan? 30/03/09
      102.   PeterSm,guy from ny is probally,ahmad from ny driving a cab 01:28  |  funny boy 30/03/09
      103.   55 Addend Re: US lawyers committed to the Rights of detainees 01:41  |  Dutch 30/03/09
      104.   George - you don`t understand "knowledge?" 02:00  |  Don 30/03/09
      105.   STATE OF ISRAEL 02:14  |  Steve 30/03/09
      106.   This has been tried before 02:15  |  kibblets 30/03/09
      107.   Geneva Conventions 02:47  |  Le Corbaeau 30/03/09
      108.   #10 It`s just antisemites being antisemites 02:49  |  Elly 30/03/09
      109.   Conroy #78 02:56  |  joan 30/03/09
      110.   Did Israel ever grant them any rights? 03:25  |  American in NY 30/03/09
      111.   #57 - It also always amazes me how stupid the French can be... 03:38  |  Jason 30/03/09
      112.   Way to go Israel! You have+400 `Shalits` in your hands while they 03:51  |  Shalit 30/03/09
      113.   #74 Flyingdoc57 05:07  |  Johnboy 30/03/09
      114.   Hey "flyingdoc" if I didn`t know any better... 05:34  |  BBSNews 30/03/09
      115.   CP 05:35  |  jjvanka 30/03/09
      116.   Sorry Conroy, I have no sympathy for child killers... 05:45  |  BBSNews 30/03/09
      117.   Go fish, jump into a lake... 05:53  |  BBSNews 30/03/09
      118.   Shalit tit-for-tat 06:01  |  Alan Woods 30/03/09
      119.   Tell us BBS News what traitors usually get 06:33  |  Ivo 30/03/09
      120.   #75 Aliens abduct Palestinians kidnap 08:14  |  kenny Sedat 30/03/09
      121.   Ivo, perhaps you need a dictionary? 13:42  |  BBSNews 30/03/09
      122.   #81 BBS News 15:03  |  Conroy 30/03/09
      123.   Leftist claptrap 19:30  |  Samuel 30/03/09
      124.   Arabs don,t care 19:42  |  Samuel 30/03/09
      125.   Natalie Durston 19:45  |  Samuel 30/03/09
      126.   BBSNews stop dreaming abouta peace loving M.Hess that you are not 14:48  |  Ivo 01/04/09
      127.   margie in t a 4 03:52  |  potobac 04/04/09
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