Israeli Supreme Court: The Food Provided to Palestinian Prisoners Does Not Meet Legal Standards

SadaNews - The Israeli Supreme Court decided today, Sunday, that "there is concern that supplying food to Palestinian prisoners in the current quantities does not sufficiently ensure compliance with legal standards."

The court's decision came after it accepted a petition filed by the Association for Civil Rights against the policy of the Prison Service, supported by judges Dafna Barak-Erez and Ofer Grosskopf, while Judge David Mintz rejected the petition.

Judge Barak-Erez ruled that the prosecution's position is not convincing in light of the difficulties raised by the petitioners, and it does not ensure compliance with legal standards, and that the Prison Service must implement steps in this regard.

The court's ruling stated that "it is difficult to ignore the stormy emotions and pain in the wake of the war as well as the plight of our kidnapped brothers in Gaza, but this is not enough to forget or obscure the responsibilities placed on the authorities operating in this field in Israel."

The court added that "this is not a matter of comfort or luxuries, but of basic living conditions required by law. We must not allow parts of ourselves to be like the worst among our enemies. We must remember the painful testimonies of (Israeli) prisoners who were released which indicate that the strict diet does not benefit the suffering of our kidnapped brothers who are still in captivity."

Judge Mintz claimed that there is no dispute concerning the state's obligations towards the prisoners, asserting that the Prison Service fulfills its duty in a manner that ensures compliance with the law regarding Palestinian prisoners.