Samer Issawi is free, renewed belief in popular & nonviolent resistance
Gaza, December 25, Samer Tariq Issawi, born December 16,
1979 in Issawiyeh, north east of Jerusalem, is a Palestinian iconic hero of
nonviolent resistance. On 15 April 2002, Samer was arrested by the Israeli
army in Ramallah as part of “Operation Defensive Shield” during the Second
Intifada alleging he was affiliated with the Democratic Front for the
Liberation of Palestine.
Nearly 10 years later, in October 2011, Issawi, then serving
the ninth year of a 30-year jail sentence, he was released along with 1027
Palestinian prisoners as a result of an Egypt-brokered deal between Hamas and
the Israeli government for the return of Gilad Shalit, Israeli soldier
kidnapped by Hamas on Gaza’s borderline. However, on 7 July 2012, he was arrested
again. His lawyer Andre Rosenthal stated
that he had been taking his car to be fixed at a garage in the West Bank.
He was convicted of an 8 months sentence so he went on an
open hunger strike since August, 2012.
Palestinian political prisoner and resistance icon Samer
Issawi was released on Monday after spending over 17 months in the Israeli
occupation detention centre Shatta Prison.
"Samer Issawi's family was ordered by Israeli terror
police earlier today not to celebrate and to take down the flags raised at
their home," according to The Free Samer Issawi Campaign page on Facebook.
Issawi ended his 265+ day long hunger strike on 23, April
2013 after accepting a deal brokered by Israeli and Palestinian officials to
serve eight months on charges of violating bail conditions for an earlier
release.
The law, which has been in place since the end of the
British mandate in Palestine in 1948, allows for the arrest of Palestinians if
they are deemed a "threat" to Israel's national security.
Palestinian hunger strikes have posed a new challenge to the
Israeli government, which has come under international criticism for its
practice of detaining prisoners without trial.
Samer endured hell from his warders happen to be the occupiers
of his land. They tried every possible physical and mental torture strategies
to stop him from hunger striking but they failed. He stayed strong, he
represented steadfastness and preferred death than giving in to injustice.
Samer said it loudly to the Electronic Intifada: “ I would
prefer to die on my hospital bed to being deported from Jerusalem. Jerusalem is
my soul and my life”, and he meant every word. He defied occupation with
nothing but an empty stomach and won, he never compromised. They offered him a
deal of being released and exiled to Gaza, he refused, he insisted on returning
back home to Jerusalem and he got what he wanted. His defiance gave hope to the
Palestinian masses inside and out of Palestine, he reignited the spark of
popular resistance and proved that nonviolent resistance actually works. His
release inspired festivities and celebrations across Palestine.
Samer’s family got popular too, they showed the same
defiance when they talked to the media but the rising star was his sister
Shireen Issawi, who represented the strength of Palestinian women. Shireen
never gave up, she fought viciously for her brother on social media and stood
by him every step of the way. Shireen became a role model and a symbol of
strength and endurance, just like her brother.
Medhat Issawi, brother of Samer Issawi, was released only a
few days before Samer after spending nearly 20 years off and on in Israeli
jails for participating in protests and intifadas.
It was definitely a happy day for Palestine and a historic
one nonetheless. Gaza united with the West bank and was anxiously waiting for
Samer’s release. It was a national celebration and Gazans made sure they are a
part of it and sent their love and support to the Issawi family even though
many couldn’t track his release through live coverage due to daily power
outages.
Samer Issawi is free, Palestine will be free.
