Israel continues to abuse Palestinians

The Israeli government, worrying about a third Intifada following U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, is trying to break the Palestinians’ resistance by putting psychological pressure on them.

A recent video has emerged showing Oren Hazan, an Israeli member of parliament, boarding a bus that was carrying Palestinian families visiting their imprisoned relatives, and verbally abusing them.

Another significant situation is the unjust and unlawful treatment of Ahed al-Tamimi, a teenage Palestinian activist, who was arrested last week and whose detention has been extended for another four days. Her arrest comes as Tel Aviv prepares to vote on a legislation allowing the death sentence of detained Palestinians.

Accompanied by cameras, Hazan, a deputy of Israel’s ruling Likud Party, raided a bus carrying Palestinian families on their way to visit their imprisoned relatives, and verbally harassed them. The video shows Hazan yelling at a prisoner’s mother saying that her son is a “dog” and an “insect.” The woman responded to him saying, “My son is the best of men. A dog is whoever calls him a dog.” Stumped by her courage, Hazan threatened the woman to prevent her from visiting her son, and said: “If you continue like this here, you will not see them alive."

"I will make sure that you are not allowed to visit here anymore. You are not wanted here. You educated your son to murder,” he told another mother.

The Israeli parliament ordered additional security measures for Hazan, the Jerusalem Post reported on Tuesday.

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem in a written statement slammed Hazan and called his actions “banditry” and “barbaric.”

The statement said that the attack was “sadistic” and his behavior mirrored that of the occupation and its leaders.

The International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday said, "Families have the right to visit their loved ones in a dignified manner. It is the responsibility of the competent authorities to ensure that the visits take place safely and without interference."

The Israeli government prepares to vote on the draft bill allowing the death penalty to detained Palestinians on Wednesday, as it failed to silence Palestinians that took to the streets after Trump’s decision on Jerusalem.

Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman stated that the draft bill will be submitted to parliament on Wednesday.

“The U.S. also has such a legislation. Thus, it’s appropriate for Israel to follow such a powerful democratic system in the world,” Liberman said.

The draft bill should be voted on in three rounds in parliament in order to be put into force. Israeli forces using disproportionate force have detained hundreds of Palestinians protesting Trump’s decision on Jerusalem.

It was revealed that 16-year-old Ahed al-Tamimi, a symbol of the Palestinian resistance, who has been held in a prison by Israel for more than a week, has not even been allowed a change of clothes since she was detained.

Gabi Laski, the lawyer of Tamimi, whose detention was extended for another four days, said that she has been transferred between several prisons in Israel. Palestinian detainees’ hands and feet are typically shacked with metal chains during these transfers, which may result in serious physical and emotional exhaustion. These prison transfers take place against international law which states that the transfer of Palestinians from the occupied territory into Israeli territory is illegal.

Laski noted that these policies of Israel try to “break the spirit” of the Palestinian prisoners.