news article
No way to treat a child
November 12, 2019 / By Rev. Merle Showers, UNY Task Force on Peace with Justice in Palestine/Israel
Editor’s Note: Approximately 2.9 million Palestinians live in the occupied West Bank, of which 45 percent are children under the age of 18. Palestinian children in the West Bank, like adults, face arrest, prosecution, and imprisonment under an Israeli detention system that denies them basic rights. Below is an example of the mistreatment these children face with action you can take on Nov. 20 to help prevent such treatment. Learn more at www.nowaytotreatachild.org.
Fully armed Israeli soldiers forced their way into a Palestinian school in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron and took away a 10-year-old boy this week (November 16, 2014). The age of criminal culpability is 12 years old under both Israeli civilian and military law.
While the soldiers likely exceeded their authority in this case, it would hardly be the first time that has happened. Israeli soldiers have been documented arresting and detaining far-younger Palestinian children over the years, particularly in Hebron.
According to a report in Ma’an News, which published a video of the incident, the soldiers forced their way into the school and snatched the child from his classroom.
In the video, an Israeli army officer can be seen grabbing the boy, who appears very young. A few Palestinian adults, including the school’s vice principal. Tried to stop the soldiers from taking the child.
Another Israeli soldier can be seen pushing an older Palestinian man, who Ma’an identified as the vice principal. When yet another Palestinian educator tries explaining to the soldiers that these were small children, the Israeli officer responds in Hebrew, “They threw stones; I don’t care how old they are,” adding that he would take them to an Israeli police station.
At a certain point in the video, the Israeli officer is seen speaking into his radio, ordering more soldiers to enter the school, saying “There are teachers jumping all over me.” Another soldier then threatens to break the arm of another of the Palestinian educators.
When one of the Palestinian educators asks to speak with a higher-ranking Israeli officer, the officer who originally forced his way into the school to detain the small child responds, “Talk to whoever you want; I don’t give a crap.”
Eventually, after the Israeli army reinforcements filled the elementary school’s hallways, each clutching an assault rifle, the soldiers take away the 10-year-old Palestinian child and at least one of the adults.
According to Ma’an, “local sources” said that Palestinian authorities attempted to intervene at that point and that the boy was released some time later.
Gaby Lasky, an Israeli attorney who specializes in human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, said that because the age of criminal culpability is 12, “the soldiers did not have the authority to arrest the boy.”
“Every soldier, and definitely every officer, should know that there is no legal authority to arrest or put on trial a child of that age,” Lasky explained. Even entering school grounds during school hours with weapons, without a warrant, and without coordinating with the school’s administration, is something that should be forbidden.
You can be a voice to help prevent this treatment toward Palestinian children. In observance of the International Day of the Child, on Nov. 20, 2019, a 12:00 noon rally will be held in front of Congressman Katko's office in Syracuse, NY,, gathering on the South Salina Street side of The Galleries. Several brief speakers will highlight the following: a) support of the House bill, H.R. 2407, "The Promoting Human Rights for Palestinian Children Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act,” b) concerns around U.S. detention of immigrant children at the border, and c) actions regarding the use of solitary confinement of youth in our NY prison system. This is supported by the Justice for Palestine Committee, with which the UNY Task Force on Peace w/ Justice in Palestine/Israel collaborates.