Ayham al-Salaymeh, a 14 year old Palestinian boy who became Israel’s youngest ever prisoner. His sentencing comes after a year and a half of house arrest in the Ras al-Amud neighbourhood in Silwan, occupied east Jerusalem.
After Ayham turned himself in on Sunday, his father, Nawaf al-Salaymeh expressed worry over Ayham's health in prison, noting that former prisoners who weighed more than his son had lost significant weight. “After a year, what will happen to my son?”
Prisoners also receive inhumane treatment and torture in prison, including sexual and physical violence. Ayham’s father is seen telling his son how to behave in prison and that all other prisoners are like his brothers. He acknowledges that Ayham will miss his mother’s cooking, but to know that he is not alone, and his family will wait for him.
How Did This Happen?
In late January of last year, Ayham, aged 12 at the time, and four other boys were arrested by Israeli forces. They were accused of throwing stones at Israeli settlers, according to a report by the Israeli human rights group, B'Tselem. B'Tselem said the boys were subjected to humiliating treatment and physical violence during interrogation.
Israeli settlers continue to harass and shoot at Palestinian residents [some with the protection of the IDF] yet face no consequences. This by definition is the epitome of apartheid.
"Arresting children in this way is part of Israel's overall oppressive policy in East Jerusalem and throughout the West Bank," the rights group wrote, adding that this case was part of "Israel's systemic treatment of Palestinian minors".
How Israel Frames This
Israel’s continuous treatment of Palestinians as second class citizens goes as deep as denying their very existence. To Israel there is no such ethnicity as Palestinian, because that would eliminate their entire argument of Zionism and the very existence of the state of Israel.
Israel also twists people’s words when they critique the state of Israel that they want to eliminate all Jews. No pro Palestinian wants the elimination of all Jews, but they are against the system of apartheid Israel’s birth has brought upon a nation that was thriving before Zionists arrived. There is a difference between Zionists and Jews, but Israel purposely blurs the lines to protect a ‘brand’ that is ‘Israel’ — the Middle East’s only “democracy” and the “world’s most moral army”.
The Cycle of Hate
What does Israel expect, that after treating Palestinian minors like animals and torturing them, they will grow up to be model citizens? After arresting their parents and the torture they witness brought upon their families, that they will not want justice?
Each and every Hamas terrorist or freedom fighter whichever word we use, was born in a refugee camp facing Israeli oppression and torture. What came from that? October 7 — the cycle of violence continues. The same resistance happened in apartheid South Africa and Ireland, where people under oppression continued to resist peacefully as well as with arms until they were free of oppression. This is basic human nature.
The hate Israel has created not just in Palestine but all over the world for their inhumane treatment of Palestinians, is something they will never be able to recover from. For every child they kill, every adult they torture, every mother they murder, and every minor they arrest, there is someone watching, waiting for the day they will enact justice upon the tyrants of Israel and those complicit in their crimes.
Israel has gained nothing but more enemies after the arrest of young Ayham and many other innocent Palestinians like him.
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