31-May-15: Imprisoned terrorists, cell phones and foreign aid: an update

Palestinian Arab inmates, Ayalon Prison, Ramle [Image Source]

This is a follow-up to our post ["31-May-15: Lights, camera, action, terror"] of a few hours ago. Stuart Winer, writing on the Times of Israel site, says that the government approved a legislative bill today defining the steps that the Israel Prison Service can take to prevent prisoners - and in particular prisoners like Barghouti about whom we wrote today - from using cell phones.

The new bill classifies access to cell phones for prisoners based on the crimes of which they are convicted, and in particular if they are terror- or security-related offenses... [It] noted that in recent years jailed terrorists have become increasingly more involved in efforts to direct and promote attacks against Israel, including kidnappings... The bill [is] sponsored by [newly appointed] Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked [Times of Israel, today]

There's unfortunately no mention of the propaganda value that brand-name terrorists like Barghouti can tap into once they are able to speak to the outside world or send out photos of themselves, as happened last week (and as we discussed here). We hope the government committee understands the importance of that aspect.

The report adds that Barghouti is now in solitary confinement. What's more, Issa Karake, a PA figure, is quoted saying the convicted killer has "begun a hunger strike in protest".

We have quoted Karake here often (most recently "14-Apr-15: Women and what the Palestinian Authority sees them as good for" and "30-Dec-14: Killers, heroes, passions and (sadly) churches"). Contrary to today's Times of Israel article, Karake was, but is no longer, the PA Minister of Prisoners Affairs. And that's significant. Here is how Palestinian Media Watch explains it:

In 2014, Abbas changed the Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs... into the Supreme National Authority of Prisoners' Affairs, subordinate to the PLO. This was done to evade pressure from international donors over the PA's payment of salaries to terrorist prisoners. Instead of paying terrorist salaries out of the PA general budget, to which international donors send their funding, the new PLO institution pays the salaries and is responsible for prisoners' affairs. Karake [who immediately prior to the change was the Minister of Prisoners' Affairs] was appointed head of the new Authority of Prisoners' Affairs [and] remains a member of the PA Parliament. [Palestinian Media Watch]

Karake's change of job title is a necessary part of the transparent ruse by which the PA pretends not to be paying its terrorists from foreign aid. And the providers of that foreign pretend to believe that their money goes nowhere near those Barghoutis and Tamimis and other such loathsome sociopaths.