Mohammed Khilfe arrested one week ago while Internationals were sleeping at his home. Israeli soldiers arrive in the middle of the night, search the upstairs, take Boshar as a human shield to come to Mohammed’s door downstairs and enter the house en masse. They forcefully remove Mohammed from the house after putting his mother on the phone with the Israeli secret police, who casually explained that they were going to take Mohammed and that she’d had better take care of her little 14 year-old or they’d come for him too. I call 5 minutes after the soldiers have gone and the mother can’t even speak…she repeats his name again and again and passes the phone to someone else.
Husam Shakshir, taken on February 12th at 3 am. Soldiers entered their home in the Old City and menaced everyone with M-16’s. They were physically aggressive towards the mother and father and pushed the gentle, nearly 70 year-old man who walks with a cane forcefully to the ground. Israeli soldiers left with their son after searching the entire house.
It happens every single night. A brother, father or son disappears in the dark of night, at a checkpoint, on a trip to the market, or getting a haircut. Arrest after arrest after arrest. For no reason or for any reason. It means beating or torture. Months of imprisonment without charge, and/or because of evidence presented to a judge by the Israeli secret police in private. The Israeli Army is taking everyone, politically active or not, young and old, rich and poor, students, farmers, bakers and carpenters—taking man after man away night after night.
Husam Shakshir, taken on February 12th at 3 am. Soldiers entered their home in the Old City and menaced everyone with M-16’s. They were physically aggressive towards the mother and father and pushed the gentle, nearly 70 year-old man who walks with a cane forcefully to the ground. Israeli soldiers left with their son after searching the entire house.
It happens every single night. A brother, father or son disappears in the dark of night, at a checkpoint, on a trip to the market, or getting a haircut. Arrest after arrest after arrest. For no reason or for any reason. It means beating or torture. Months of imprisonment without charge, and/or because of evidence presented to a judge by the Israeli secret police in private. The Israeli Army is taking everyone, politically active or not, young and old, rich and poor, students, farmers, bakers and carpenters—taking man after man away night after night.