On the 24th December 2019 Israeli soldiers brutally arrested the promiment Palestinian writer, Ahmad Qatamesh. Israeli forces raided his home in the illegally occupied West Bank more precisely in the city of Al-birch and took him in custody. As usual the Israeli forces did not give any reason why they arrested Ahmad Qatamesh. Israeli forces can for any laughable reason arrest any Palestinian and keep “them”in custody for months. The reasons for keeping Ahmad Qatamesh is fuzzy.
Who is Ahmad Qatamesh?
Ahmad Qatamesh was born in 1950. Ahamd Qatamesh ( I deliberately repeat the name so that young readers can remember…) is a Palestinian academic and writer. Ahmad Qatamesh is an intellectual in the true sense of the word. Politically he is someone who has espoused Marxism… A leftist! A leftist is a dangerous person! And a Palestinian leftist is more dangerous because he does not view the world from a religious prism.
Ahmad Qatamesh is not only very critic of Israel but also of the PALESTINIAN AUHTORITY. He does not also tolerate intolerance wherever it comes from. He does not also tolerate violence towards any civilian. Yes NO VIOLENCE to any citizen of Blue Planet. Ahmad Qatamesh is a fervent supporter of ONE STATE between the Jordan River and the sea.
Ahmad Qatamesh is a militant who seeks brotherhood between Israelis and Palestinians, pursues equality and does not fear to come out against the rampant coalition in the rotten system of the PAELSTINIAN AUTHORITY as well as the forces of occupation.
In 2017, the International Human Rights Group called Ahmad Qatamesh “A prisoner of conscience” after he was arrested for no reason and held without trial.
The Israeli army has for years accused Ahmad Qatamesh of being a member to the left wing POPULAR FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION of PALESTINE (PFLP) Group.
Ahmad Qatamesh was imprisoned from 1992 to 1998, at the time the longest detention without trial of a Palestinian prisoner… why? Israel authorities stated without any shred of evidence that Ahmad Qatamesh instigated against Israeli forced from prison. Shin Bet (Israel security agency, founded on 8th February 1949 by Isser Harel, better known by the acronym SHABAK or SHIN BET is Israel’s internal security it is said that SHIN BET thwarted over 450 attacks in 2019 alone…) accused Ahmad Qatamesh of being the brain behind the attacks against Israeli soldiers.
On 21st April 2011 Ahmad Qatamesh was arrested again. And again, Ahmad Qatamesh was held without charge through a series of detention orders. Ahmad Qatamesh was accused of continued involvement with the PFLP (a much hated organisation by Israelis especially after the Munich massacre of 1972). Ahmad Qatamesh publicly stated that his involvement with the group had ended more than 13 years before. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL stated “to AMNESTY Intenational’s knowledge Ahmad Qatamesh has never been involved with PFLP-affiliated armed group or advocated violence. The reasons for Ahmad Qatamesh’s arrest and continued administrative detention are his peaceful expression, in his writing and teaching, of non-violent political views and the fact that he is considered a mentor for left wing students and political activists, some of whom may be affiliated to the PFLP. As such, his detention may be part of the Israeli Authority’s strategy to put pressure on the PFLP organisation.”
Ahmad Qatamesh was finally released on 26th December following great outcry from many Human Rights activists from the world and even from Israel. Ahmad Qatamesh has written a very-known book entitled “I shall not wear your Tarbush”. ( A Tarbush is a cap similar to a fez). Ahmad Qatamesh recalls in his book the 100 days of torture which he underwent during nonstop interrogation in 1992.
From his marriage with SUHA BARGHOUTI, a daughter was born in 1989. Mrs Barghouti Qatamesh, a MOTHER COURAGE, is very active with several NGOS including the Palestinian Red Crescent SOCIETY.
It is apposite to state that the Israeli forces have recently arrested several Palestinian activists in the occupied West Bank for no substantial reason save to trigger the wrath of Palestinian civilians. WAFA, the Palestinian news authority said that there are more than 5000 Palestinian and Arab prisoners in Israeli jails serving various sentences for resisting the Israeli occupation of their homeland.
And on 8th December 2019 MOHAMMAD ADEL DAWOOD a Palestinan political prisoner in Israeli detention entered his 33rd YEAR (yes… you have read it right: 33 years in Israeli jail) and has been barred from family visits several times under security reasons…
Dawood,Qatamesh and thousands others…
We must not forget
RAMA VALAYDEN
