The Policy of Confiscation

Funeral of Ala' Abu Jamal

Samia Khoury
Reflections from Palestine
May 25, 2016

Living under the Israeli occupation, we are damned if we are alive, and we are damned if we are dead. This is how I felt when I was watching the parents of a fifteen-year old boy receiving the body of their son Hassan Manasrah after he was shot and killed seven months ago, but his body remained “confiscated” during all this period. And to add insult to injury the funeral had to take place at night with only 40 persons allowed to attend. Over and above, they had to pay a guarantee of NIS20,000 (around $5000) which would also be “confiscated” should they violate the conditions set for his funeral.

Under what law in the world can this happen? Even world-renowned criminals who are executed are entitled to a decent burial. As if it is not enough that ever since 1948 the confiscation of Palestinian land has been ongoing under a variety of justifications, now it seems that the most recent innovative and demonic measure of the Israeli occupation forces, is to “confiscate” the bodies of Palestinian martyrs. Of course one could consider our young men and women who have been languishing in Israeli jails, many of them without charge or trial as being “confiscated” as well.

After a lot of international pressure the Israeli government decided to start releasing the bodies of the young Palestinians before the month of Ramadan. Soon after three bodies were released last night including that of Hassan Manasrah, Ala’ Abu Jamal, and Fouad Abu Rajab Tamimi, the occupation forces announced that it will not pursue the policy of releasing the bodies. Not surprising now that the Minister of Defense is non-other than the right wing Avigdor Lieberman from the extreme right, who has very openly called for capital punishment to be applied to Palestinians only .

A number of years ago when Jorg Haider, the notorious right wing leader, was elected in Austria, the whole world was up in arms against him until he was forced to resign. When it comes to Israel, there might have been some voices objecting to the appointment of Lieberman but certainly not loud enough to bring about a change in the decision of the Israeli prime minister. Currently the Israeli military is still withholding nine bodies, seven of them from Jerusalem. Why? Can any decent and sane mind answer my question. Isn’t killing them and punishing their families by blowing up their homes sufficient?

Samia's Blog: reflectionsfrompalestine.blogspot.com