• News 2016

     

    From Nablus, in the West Bank,

    April 21, 2016

     

    Before the bomb that set two buses on fire in Jerusalem on April 18, 2016, wounding more than 20, the decision had been taken, and approved at all levels, from Jerusalem to Nablus and Hebron, to modify the Open the Doors Campaign, and give it new, needed momentum.

    Where it read "The Palestinians must end all rocket attacks against Israel and the Israelis" it will now read :

    "The Palestinians must end all attacks against Israel and the Israelis", meaning all forms of attacks.

    The number of Palestinian prisoners has risen from more than 5,000 in 2015 to more than 6,000 in 2016.

    Considering the fact that there are no "old prisoners" left in the Israeli jails (the oldest was Dr Dweik last year, then 67, now released), but that we counted 98 boys and 5 girls from 14 to 16, 4 boys and 1 girl under the age of 14, by the end of February 2016, not forgetting 324 boys from 16 to 18 and 6 girls, we have replaced "the eldest and longest-serving " by "the youngest and longest-serving".

    The only good news in this bleak picture is the number of PLC members still detained, which has fallen from 12 in 2015 to 6 now.

    We are in the process of having all the 250 signatories Members of the European Parliament and Nobel laureates confirm their approval of these changes.