Israel force-feeding law negative step: Academic

Press TV has conducted an interview with Hani al-Bassous, a professor of political science at the Islamic University of Gaza, about Israel's parliament (Knesset) passing into law the legislation to force-feed prisoners on hunger strike.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: First of all I’d like to get your opinion as far as this law is concerned. What do you make of the force-feeding of Palestinian prisoners who are on hunger strike?

Bassous: Well this decision, this law which was made by the Israeli Knesset is against basic human rights law and it is condemned by many human rights organizations and by the Palestinian leadership, by all Palestinian factions in Gaza, in the West Bank, in all Palestinian areas. Palestinians are against such step which could be taken by the Israeli authorities, which means torture of Palestinian prisoners who have been on hunger strike - those Palestinian prisoners who have been on hunger strike because of the illegal policy which has been adopted by the Israeli occupation forces.

Now the big [tough] Israel would be distorted because it has been using such illegal measures against the Palestinian prisoners for the past many years. Some of them have been abducted with no fair trial, with no prosecution as based on legal aspects but now even this law which has been passed by the Knesset, this will sustain the perception that the Israeli occupation forces is using all kind of illegal and immoral policy against Palestinian prisoners. Let’s say that even those Palestinian prisoners are in sensitive situations. Many of them have been ill, cannot have even medical treatments, some of them spend many years in prisons, in Israeli jails because they are fighting the occupation forces.

Let me say as well here this law which has been passed by Israeli Knesset even has been condemned by some Israeli leaders and by the Israeli other parties, the leftist parties who say well this is immoral, this is against human rights and human basic instinct. This is something cannot be allowed by all measures and means and policies at the international level and I think this would mean if the Israeli authorities would really keep such law, mean feeding Palestinian prisoners by force, this amounts to torture, killing those prisoners and this will not stand for long time because even people in Gaza, in the West Bank, in Palestine will not accept such policy.

Press TV: The Supreme Court will be assessing this as well because as we have just said a group of Israeli medical association doctors are planning to challenge this law in court. How do you see that playing out?

Bassous: Well I think this could be again a step which [could] be taken by the leftist parties in Israel and by some medical associations to prove that this law which has been passed by the Israeli Knesset is against human rights, it is against basic necessities of human being and it is illegal and it is a means of torture and I am sure that most likely the Supreme Court will negate such law, will refuse it.

And I think that at the same time many human right organizations and many human rights activists in Palestine and Israel and many other areas will walk against such law which would have to have an end sooner than later because it would not be accepted. And let me even explain that even this bill was passed all by slight majority, 46 votes against 40 votes, voting for this law meaning that even the other Knesset members were not happy with such policy because they understand the fact this would be a negative step, could be taken by authorities in Israel and this would have more criticism by the international community. Not only today we are talking on TV but I think even many human rights organizations would take part in a protest against such law.  

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