14: Prisoners are the Inspiration for the Struggle

The International Solidarity Movement Podcast

In this final episode of Season One of the International Solidarity Movement podcast Hazel interviews Helmi Al Arraj, director of Hurryat.

Hurryat is a Palestinian organisation that operates in the West Bank. It is an association that focuses on defending the rights of prisoners, as well as working against repression more broadly. For example, the organisation supports people who are forbidden to travel by the Israeli state.

Like many of those working with organisations that are working against colonial state violence, Helmi has spent many years inside the occupation's prisons. He speaks about the unity among Palestinian prisoners, and their importance in the struggle.

We have made this interview available in English and Arabic, as the interview was translated almost sentence by sentence.

Links

Hurryat Centre for Defence of Liberties and Civil Rights

Addameer prisoner solidarity organisation website

Samidoun Palestininian Prisoner Solidarity Network

Al Haq legal advocacy organisation

International Solidarity Movement website

International Solidarity Movement statement - October 2023

Information about joining ISM in Palestine

If you would like an explanation of the terms used in this podcast, you can find a useful glossary on pages 140-154 of Shoal Collective's Ebook

Supported by

Shoal Collective

View the transcript below:

Introduction:

In this final episode of Season One of the International Solidarity Movement podcast we have an interview with Helmi Al Arraj, director of Hurryat.

Hurryat is a Palestinian organisation that operates in the West Bank. It is an association that focuses on defending the rights of prisoners, as well as working against repression more broadly. For example, the organisation supports people who are forbidden to travel by the Israeli state.

Like many of those working with organisations that are working against colonial state violence, Helmi has spent many years inside the occupation's prisons. He speaks about the unity among Palestinian prisoners, and their importance in the struggle.

We have made this interview available in English and Arabic, as the interview was translated almost sentence by sentence.

Hazel 0:00

Okay, Helmi can you please introduce yourself? We know that you're also a member of two different organisation - Hurriyat and the prisoner club. So can you please introduce a bit about both of those different organisations?

Helmi 0:12

[Arabic]

Translation 0:20

First of all, you are welcome in Palestine and in Hurryat Association.

Helmi 0:26

[Arabic]

Translation 0:32

I'm Helmi and I am the director of the association at the centre of defending the freedom [of] society.

Helmi 0:46

[Arabic]

Translation 0:50

I spent, like, 10 years in Israeli jails in different [periods of time].

Helmi 0:55

[Arabic]

Translation 0:59

First in 1976. And the last one is in 1995.

Helmi 1:07

[Arabic]

Translation 1:27

So I finished my high school in ‘77, and then moved to study law in Syria at Damascus University. But when he came back, he was arrested. So, he lost his [place] - not to continue. After prison, he started studying at Bir Zeit University.

Helmi 1:54

[Arabic]

Translation 1:58

Yeah, at that time, he changed his faculty to psychology and literature issues because at that time, there was no other faculty at Bir Zeit University teaching law.

Helmi 2:13

[Arabic]

Translation 2:21

So before the first intifada and in [his] fourth year in the university, even 40 days before the first intifada started, he was arrested, and spend 8 years [in prison].

Helmi 2:37

[Arabic]

Translation 2:44

After prison, he continued to study after the 8th year in Bir Zeit and making a masters in Arabic science and language, and he graduated from Bir Zeit.

Helmi 3:00

[Arabic]

Translation 3:04

And that’s because [he] is a member of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Helmi 3:10

[Arabic]

Translation 3:14

And these changes in my life in different topics because people are forbidden [for] travelling outside to continue to study or to do work.

Helmi 3:24

[Arabic]

Translation 3:28

And they refuse any kind of condition even to manage to travel.

Helmi 3:32

[Arabic]

Translation 3:36

So I am stayed more more than 30 years [here], forbidden to travel outside.

Helmi 3:41

[Arabic]

Translation 3:45

And then I did not continue my PhD studying, because it cannot be here, and because of [the] forbidden travelling so I did not continue.

Helmi 3:55

[Arabic]

Translation 4:07

So the main issues for the Hurryat, besides the other topics is to help and to facilitate and to take care about the people who are forbidden from travelling because they are a lot of people - and Hurryat is the only association [that] cares about this kind of freedom.

Helmi 4:28

[Arabic]

Translation 4:36

so we have a document that more than 8000 Palestinians are forbidden to leave the country to travel, including around 800 women.

Helmi 4:50

[Arabic]

Translation 4:59

And one of our points is to send a message and a call for the General Security Council for this kind of topic, the forbidding of travelling.

Helmi 5:14

[Arabic]

Translation 5:17

And the second topic that Hurryat as an association works with is about prisoners.

Helmi 5:24

[Arabic]

Translation 5:30

Mostly we focus in general on prisoners but mostly focusing on the prisoners that are ill in the prison and need medical treatment.

Helmi 5:40

[Arabic]

Translation 5:47

The third topic we are involved in is against torture - in arrest or detention centres inside PA [Palestinian Authority areas].

Helmi 6:01

[Arabic]

Translation 6:04

Especially after Palestine as a state signed the agreement against torture in detention centres in the country. We usually visit the detainees in those centres.

Helmi 6:22

[Arabic]

Translation 6:27

And we train the security forces of PA about this international agreement - against the torturing of detainees.

Helmi 6:39

[Arabic]

Translation 6:44

And we trained a lot of Palestinian security forces, like intelligence, how to [better] deal with detainees.

Helmi 6:52

[Arabic]

Translation 6:55

And more than 1000s in other security forces.

Helmi 6:59

[Arabic]

Translation 7:03

And also the new lawyers and also the students of law in the university; how that we should respect this agreement - not to torture the detainees.

Helmi 7:18

[Arabic]

Translation 7:20

And we have another topic about elections – it is not taking much interest, but it is part of Hurryat.

Helmi 7:29

[Arabic]

Translation 7:33

And also, we are involved in the [organising against the] violence against woman because it can be a kind of torture.

Helmi 7:42

[Arabic]

Translation 7:46

So Hurryat as an association, as a centre, is not helped by the organisation Democratic Front of the Liberation of Palestine.

Helmi 7:56

[Arabic]

Translation 8:01

So, it works on both the law of association in general, and the law of PA [in the area of their] laws about NGOs.

Helmi 8:13

[Arabic]

Translation 8:15

And also the employees here of the research working in Hurryat, as a condition does not have a relation with Democratic Front; it is like a grassroots organisation.

Helmi 8:31

[Arabic]

Translation 8:39

It is known that a relation with Democratic Front [exists] because Helmi is known as a leader in Democratic [Front], and he is an ex prisoner from Democratic Front, according to the situation of prisoners.

Helmi 8:56

[Arabic]

Translation 9:06

So the movement of prisoners in Palestine, the movement of Palestinian prisoners - this is what we call it. For Israel, it is the most important and the most target[ted] in here [that] reflects the Palestinian resistance against the occupation.

Helmi 9:27

[Arabic]

Translation 9:29

And this is from the first day that the prisoners movement in the Israeli jails started. United.

Helmi 9:38

[Arabic]

Translation 9:42

Because of its values, and because of its symbolism for the Palestinian community, the prisoners issues are very symbolic, and because of continuous struggling and effecting in the Palestinian community community to highlight the resistance issue

Helmi 10:03

[Arabic]

Translation 10:05

And according [to the fact that] even the prisoners belong to different political organisation, the prisoner movement inside the prison – it is the most united. [It is] not reflecting the divisions outside; it is united more, and it has a lot of respect in the Palestinian community.

Helmi 10:26

[Arabic]

Translation 10:32

The Palestinian nation gains the dignity, and the strength from the prisoners movement and from their symbolic issues.

Helmi 10:42

[Arabic]

Translation 10:49

And that’s why all Palestinians not only respect [but are] also trusting the Palestinian [prisoners], even [with] songs, so prisoner itself it is a symbol a hero in the Palestinian community and [they] can be leaders [in] or orient the Palestinian movement.

Helmi 11:09

[Arabic]

Translation 11:16

So most of the Israeli occupation security[forces] all does as much as they can to depress or weaken the Palestinian prisoner movement issues. It reflects, as much as he can do that, targeting them as much as he can, to control the Palestinian situation.

Helmi 11:39

[Arabic]

Translation 11:41

And this is a decision of all Israeli governments.

Helmi 11:45

[Arabic]

Translation 11:52

So Israel tries to visit the United Nation trying to make laws to make it difficult for prisoners lives and [their] effective[ness].

Hazel 12:09

Can you tell us about how the prisoner club shapes the struggle and what sort of difficulties they face?

Helmi 12:15

[Arabic]

Translation 12:27

And you know that Ben Gvir, the [inaudible] right wing, who went in his like candidate, [inaudible], but now he’s pushing to make more, controlling more, pushing against the freedom of the movement inside the prison, and he is calling for assassination [death penalty] of some prisoners, to make it a law.

Helmi 12:54

[Arabic]

Translation 13:02

But the occupation will not win in this struggle against the Palestinians, and especially the movement of the prisoners. Because we have a justice cause.

Helmi 13:21

[Arabic]

Translation 13:24

And there is nothing to lose [with] our back on the wall. There is no choice, no choice - only to continue steadfasting and winning in the end.

Helmi 13:40

[Arabic]

Translation 13:48

And at the end, our prisoners will be free. Even now maybe the longest [serving] prisoners who spent 40 years in the prisons... But at the end they will see the [freedom].

Helmi 14:04

[Arabic]

Translation 14:09

yeah and in ‘79 many prisoners were released by prisoner exchange, even the ones who were sentenced forever. So the prison [struggle] will not close. And 83 also thousands of prisoners released...

Helmi 14:24

[Arabic]

Translation 14:28

5000 Palestinian prisoners was released by...

Helmi 14:31

[Arabic]

Translation 14:35

And more than 1050 prisoners who were sentenced forever, released in ‘85.

Helmi 14:44

[Arabic]

Translation 14:47

When Shalit was arrested and the agreement with Shalit, more than 1070 are released. So releasing and focusing on our prisoners is one of the beauties of the Palestinian struggle, and that's proof that there is hope.

Helmi 15:10

[Arabic]

Translation 15:18

And we are not broken since we are facing British Mandate more than 75 years, struggling against the occupation, against imperialism, British mandate, American support, and Israeli occupation.

Helmi 15:34

[Arabic]

Translation 15:38

There is hope that we are going towards victory Insha’Allah.

Hazel 15:41

Maybe we can talk specifically about the prisoner clubs then. And first, if you could describe a bit the kind of practical activities that happen – so, inside prison and outside prison. So that people – so that listeners might not be involved in the prison struggle in other countries and some of them might be. So yeah, how families are involved, what prisoners do inside?

Helmi 16:10

[Arabic]

Translation 16:13

In the topic of the prisoners, we all - all associations related to the prison issue [are] working together to support the prisoners.

Helmi 16:24

[Arabic]

Translation 16:31

And we planned our conferences, activities supporting the prisoners together.

Helmi 16:40

[Arabic]

Translation 16:53

So when you see the website of Hurryat, on the card, you will see that all the activities are sharing, even with governmental associations related to the Prisoners Club, Hurryat, and altogether.

Helmi 17:11

[Arabic]

Translation 17:15

And even we are specialised to defend the illness prisoners but we are cooperating with other associations, organisations in order to achieve more benefit for them.

Helmi 17:29

[Arabic]

Translation 17:32

We are struggling for example to let a specialised doctor go to the prison in order to see [them].

Helmi 17:42

[Arabic]

Translation 17:45

Or sometimes some of the prisoners seriously injured lost hands etc. So we also like support them by this...

Helmi 17:56

[Arabic]

Translation 18:12

So if Hurryat has the capacity and the ability to offer industrial hands for ill prisoners, so prisoner clubs, the families anytime can talk to Hurryat, and Hurryat will offer it, whatever the political reasons or [whether] the prisoner belongs to any political side. There is no difference between prisoners who need this kind of help.

Helmi 18:39

[Arabic]

Translation 18:50

And every activity for supporting prisoners - including the regular sitting next to the courts - is called by these connections, associations related to prisoners.

Helmi 19:06

[Arabic]

Translation 19:17

When there is a hunger strike, especially inside prison, some of the activity that the prisoners do is going on hunger strike together. So all the associations including Hurryat and the prisoner club, when they make a tent - because it is a danger against our prisoners. So all the people all the associations related to prisoners work together in order to support them.

Helmi 19:46

[Arabic]

Translation 19:50

So, if the hunger strike is together, many prisoners together, or even an individual - because there is individuals going on hunger strike – and this prisoner [can] belong to any kind of political party [to be supported].