Report: Despite stronger fears of gun violence, California immigrants far less likely to own firearms than citizens

by Venetia Lai, University of California, Los Angeles

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Among Latinos and Asians living in California, immigrants are less likely than citizens to own a firearm and more likely to report being afraid of becoming a victim of gun violence, according to a new study from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

While gun ownership among both groups of noncitizens was in the single digits, more than half of Latino immigrants and nearly three-quarters of Asian immigrants surveyed said they were worried about becoming a gun-violence victim.

"This study shows that the immigrant population's concern about gun violence is significant," said Ninez Ponce, director of the Center for Health Policy Research and principal investigator for the California Health Interview Survey, or CHIS.

Firearm ownership

Prior research showed 17.6% of all California adults own a firearm. However the number is just 6.0% among immigrants, according to 2021 CHIS data in the new study. The authors included naturalized adult citizens in the "citizens" category, as firearm access among naturalized citizens more closely mimics that of citizens than immigrants.

The study, which builds on the earlier research, examines firearm ownership, fears of being a victim of gun violence and firearm storage practices among adults in the two largest immigrant populations in California—Latino and Asian—and compares these with Latino and Asian citizens' practices.

"The United States has the highest gun ownership rate per capita in the world, yet we know very little about ownership rates across different populations of interests, including immigrants," said Clarissa Iliff, a doctoral student at UC Irvine and co-author of the study. "We need to analyze how citizenship, fear of victimization and firearm ownership among immigrant populations change over time."

Study findings show Asian immigrants are more likely than Latino immigrants to own at least one firearm. The rate of gun ownership among Latino citizens was more than four times that of Latino immigrants, at 18.1% versus 4.1%, while ownership rates among Asians were more consistent at 12.6% for citizens and 7.2% for noncitizens.

Fears of gun violence

Yet, 74.9% of Asian immigrants and 53.2% of Latino immigrants said they are "very worried" or "somewhat worried" about being a victim of gun violence. Latino immigrants in that category own more firearms on average compared with Latino immigrants who report being "not too worried" or "not at all worried."

Among Latino citizens, however, the opposite is true: Those least worried about being a victim of gun violence own more firearms on average than those who are most worried.

Firearm storage practices

Overall, immigrants in California are more likely than citizens to store guns locked and unloaded, at 76.5% versus 45%. Among citizens, 6.1% reported storing at least one gun unlocked and loaded; comparable data for immigrants were unavailable.

The finding that immigrants seemingly take safe firearm storage seriously deserves more attention, the authors said.

"Storing a firearm safely decreases the likelihood of its being used in an accidental shooting in the home, as well as of having the gun stolen and used in a subsequent crime," said George Tita, professor in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society at UC Irvine and co-author of the study. "Understanding why the safe storage message resonates more strongly with immigrant groups might help us craft more effective messaging to the broad population of gun owners."

The authors recommend that future research be undertaken to understand the difference in gun ownership rates across all racial, ethnic and citizenship groups. "We need to continue collecting data on gun violence attitudes and issues to help develop policies that benefit all Californians, whether immigrants or citizens," Ponce said.

More information: Firearm Storage Practices Among Latino and Asian Immigrants in California (2023).

Provided by University of California, Los Angeles 

Unlocked and loaded: How most gun-owning households with teens store firearms

US consumer confidence rises in November after three-month decline

Respondents' recession fears reflect Conference Board's 'short and shallow' prediction for 2024


Data released by The Conference Board showed that the Consumer Confidence Index had increased to 102.0, up from a downwardly revised 99.1 in October. EPA


Kyle Fitzgerald
Washington
Nov 28, 2023

US consumer confidence rose in November after three straight months of decline, although fears remain of a recession within the next year.

Data released by The Conference Board on Tuesday showed that the Consumer Confidence Index had increased to 102.0, up from a downwardly revised 99.1 in October.

A separate measure based on current business and labour market conditions fell slightly from 138.6 to 138.2.

Tuesday's report comes as economic figures show inflation is moderating, bringing relief to consumers who have been burdened by high prices.

“General improvements were seen across the spectrum of income groups surveyed in November,” said Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board, which gauges consumers' confidence in current economic conditions as well as their expectations for the next six months.

Still, consumers expressed concerns over rising prices, geopolitics and higher interest rates.

The Conference Board found that plans to buy homes, vehicles and appliances trended downwards, “perhaps reflecting the impact of elevated interest rates”.

A separate index found that consumers still fear a looming recession. Two-thirds of respondents believe a recession to be at either “somewhat” or “very likely” within the next 12 months.

The Conference Board noted the index reflects the “short and shallow” recession it predicts in the first half of next year.

The US economy grew 4.9 per cent last quarter. It is projected to grow by 2.1 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2023, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta's GDPNow forecast metric.

Philippine Workers to mount Bonifacio Day protest


© STAR/Edd Gumban

MANILA, Philippines — Although Nov. 30 is no longer a holiday, labor groups will still commemorate Bonifacio Day with mass protest actions.

Members of different labor organizations led by the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) are marching to Mendiola in Manila on Thursday.

“We will mark the 160th birthday of our national hero, Andres Bonifacio, to push our campaign for wage hike, jobs, public services, rights and freedom,” the KMU said in a statement.

The group said workers from different areas in Metro Manila will assemble along T.M. Kalaw Avenue then march to the gates of Malacañang.

Philippine government and communist rebels agree to resume talks on ending their protracted conflict




By —Jan M. Olsen, Associated Press

Nov 28, 2023 

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — The Philippine government and the country’s communist rebels have agreed to resume talks aimed at ending decades of armed conflict, one of Asia’s longest, Norwegian mediators announced Tuesday.

High-ranking delegations from both sides met in the Norwegian capital of Oslo last week and agreed to a “common vision for peace” that sought to address key obstacles, according to Norway’s foreign ministry.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said the deal was signed at “an important signing ceremony” on Thursday but was only made public on Tuesday.

Since 1969, the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army, have fought successive Philippine governments. The rebellion, which opposes the Philippines’ close ties with the United States and wants left-wing parties to be part of the government, has left about 40,000 combatants and civilians dead.

The fighting has also stunted economic development in the impoverished countryside. The military says a few thousand Maoist insurgents continue to wage the insurgency to this day.

READ MORE: Chinese ships block, pursue Philippine vessels as U.S. renews warning it will defend its ally

Past administrations had engaged in intermittent peace negotiations with the rebels. Former President Rodrigo Duterte ended peace talks in March 2019, accusing the rebels of attacks on police and military outposts. The U.S., the European Union and the Philippine government consider the New People’s Army a terrorist organization because of its attacks targeting civilians.

Last year, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office as the new president and appeared more open to peace talks. He granted amnesty last week to several former rebels, including those from NPA, for offenses including rebellion, sedition and illegal assembly, but not those suspected of kidnapping, killing, terrorism or similar serious crimes.

Marcos’ namesake father declared martial law in the Philippines in 1972, imprisoning thousands of suspected rebels and communist supporters, until he was ousted in a 1986 popular uprising.

The Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, the umbrella group representing the rebels, said in their joint statement that they “recognize the need to unite as a nation in order to urgently address these challenges and resolve the reasons for the armed conflict.”

They “agree to a principled and peaceful resolution of the armed conflict.”

“We envision and look forward to a country where a united people can live in peace and prosperity,” the statement said. The text was the result of several informal discussions between the sides held in the Netherlands and Norway since the beginning of 2022.

”I was happy to hear the parties’ decision to finally end the more than 50-year-long conflict in the Philippines,” said Barth Eide, who witnessed the signing. He said that ”extensive work” remained and that Norway “looks forward to continuing to assist the parties towards a final peace agreement.”

Rebel negotiator Julieta De Lima did not say when formal talks will start. She said issues to be addressed include the detention of rebel “peace consultants,” safety guarantees and immunity from arrest for negotiators, release of what the rebels refer to as political prisoners, and the removal of the terrorist designation for the communist movement.

The previous rounds of talks had collapsed over such demands.

In Manila, Presidential Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. told reporters that despite the agreement, the government’s anti-insurgency operations will continue.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said it would be up to local officials to decide if they will declare a local, Christmas cease-fire. The head of the Philippine Armed Forces, Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., said it meant the military could shift its focus to external defenses, referring to territorial tensions with China in the South China Sea.

'Lies and misogyny': Rep. Omar blasts challenger for hurling Trump-esque 'sexist' insults

M.L. Nestel
November 28, 2023

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN)


She says he's shilling lies and sexism to score political points.

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is leveling a counteroffensive to her opponent who is trying to defeat her in a 2024 primary rematch.

Former Minneapolis City Council Member Don Samuels is in a race against Omar for the Fifth District and he's throwing slings and arrows that she contends channel Former President Donald Trump and are "beneath the dignity of any adult."

Appearing on "The Break Down" podcast last week, Samuels attempted to take a shot at Omar's "lack of town halls."

"To see government not be responsive like that, to the people that pay them, it is offensive to me," he said, according to Racket. "And to not be responsive and available to those people, to meet with them and find out what their concerns are and to answer their tough questions? To not get back to people on the phone? Who do you think you are? And who do you think you're working for?"

He then added: "You're not cute enough, you don't dress well enough, nothing about you is attractive enough to overcome that deficit."

Omar returned with a searing comeback on social media.

"This is beneath the dignity of any adult, let alone someone seeking public office," the Tuesday post reads. "It is reminiscent of the worst kinds of lies and misogyny that we are hearing from people like Donald Trump, who think they can say anything about women and get away with it."

She continued: "Like Trump, instead of engaging in an adult debate, Don relies on lies and sexism. We need civility now more than ever and Don’s behavior should be alarming to anyone who agrees."

Omar is a charter member progressive House Democrats known as "the squad" and won reelection twice.

The Somali American and Muslim has faced some fallout for for condemning the Israeli government’s over its handling of the war versus Hamas.

Earlier this month, when the Jamaican-born Samuels announced he wanted a rematch against Omar (he lost to her back on August 9, 2022 by 2,466 votes) he claimed to be a uniter while she was a constant divider.

“Our congresswoman has a predilection to divisiveness and conflict,” he said.

Israel lobby offers another candidate $20m to run against Rashida Tlaib in Michigan

November 28, 2023 

Nasser Beydoun revealed on social media that he had been contacted by the Israeli lobby group AIPAC and offered $20 million to run against Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib in Michigan [@NasserforMich/X]


Nasser Beydoun revealed on social media that he had been contacted by the Israeli lobby group AIPAC and offered $20 million to run against Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib in Michigan. Beydoun is the second candidate who has been offered funds to run against Tlaib, with Senate candidate Hill Harper speaking of a similar offer last week.

Taking to X, Beydoun wrote: “Even knowing where I stand on AIPAC’s influence on our elections and foreign policy, the pro-Israel lobby had the nerve to suggest that I would even consider taking a dime from them.”

Adding that he had been asked to “run against my friend Rashida Tlaib.”

“The pro-Israel lobby will go to any length to remove anybody from the US Congress that has any opposition to their agenda and their total unequivocal support for Israel, good, bad, or indifferent.”

Tlaib, who represents Michigan’s 12th District in Congress, is the only Palestinian-American in the US House of Representatives. She is known for her criticism of Israel’s occupation and its invasion of Gaza.

Earlier this month, the House of Representatives voted to censure Tlaib for some statements that angered the Zionist lobby and the right-wing movement in the US, such as the use of the slogan “From the river to the sea.”

Politico first reported on 22 November that a Michigan businessman had offered Harper $20 million in campaign money if he stood against Tlaib in next year’s Democratic primary race, identifying Linden Nelson as the figure.

Indian trade unions stand with Palestine, reject sending workers to Israel

SPECIAL

Members of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions and All India Trade Union Congress hold a pro-Palestine rally in Bhubaneswar, Orrissa, Nov. 29, 2023. (Jayant Das)


SANJAY KUMAR
November 29, 2023

Indian workers rally on International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

Unionists denounce plans for 90,000 Indians to replace Palestinian workers

NEW DELHI: India’s main trade unions urged the government on Wednesday to uphold its historical support for Palestinian statehood and scrap plans to send tens of thousands of workers to Israel.

Representing some 100 million workers, Indian trade union organizations said earlier this month that the government was considering manpower exports to Israel, which would see some 90,000 Indian construction workers replace their Palestinian counterparts.

As plans to facilitate their replacement with Indians began to emerge, 10 prominent trade unions issued a statement saying the Israeli occupation of Palestine had decimated its economy, making Palestinians dependent on Israel for employment. Facilitating it would “amount to complicity on India’s part with Israel’s ongoing genocidal war against Palestinians,” said the statement.

The unions repeated their call as they observed the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on Nov. 29.

“(The) Indian working class cannot be party to this genocidal initiative by Israel and marching orders to Palestinian workers working on Israeli soil is a part of that overall genocidal attack. Workers cannot be a party to the heinous exercise,” Tapan Kumar Sen, secretary-general of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, told Arab News.

Members of the CITU, as well as of the All India Trade Union Congress and other Indian members of the World Federation of Trade Unions, wore black badges to work on Wednesday and took part in sit-ins, marches and site protests.

“This is an observation in support of solidarity with Palestinians and demanding that the Indian government play (a role) instead of being soft on Israel,” Sen said.

“We demand that Israel must vacate all the occupied territory of the Palestinian areas identified as Palestinian homeland with Jerusalem as capital.”

In Tamil Nadu, in India’s south, workers in more than half the state’s districts organized rallies.

“This protest is in response to the call given by the World Federation of Trade Unions to observe Nov. 29 as a solidarity day,” Vahidha Nizam, a member of AITUC in the state, told Arab News.

“About 20 districts in Tamil Nadu are holding protest marches in solidarity with the Palestinian people.”

In Bhubaneswar, the capital of the eastern state of Orrissa, six trade unions and activists held a joint protest against Israeli military and settler violence and the support it receives from the West.

“The way the Israel-America axis attacks Palestine ... they are snatching their homeland, they are snatching their rights,” Ramkrushna Panda, AITUC state secretary, told Arab News.

“Trade unions have jointly organized the protest ... Though the Indian government has taken a stand in a different way, our foreign policy has always been in favor of Palestine. The people of the country stand with Palestine, in solidarity with Palestine.”

Support for Palestine was an important part of India’s foreign policy even before independence from British colonial rule in 1947.

Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of India’s freedom movement and one of the fathers of the independent country, had opposed the formation of a Jewish nation-state in Palestine, deeming it inhumane.

“Indian citizens and Indian workers have always stood with the rights of Palestinians to have their own homeland,” said Amarjeet Kaur, secretary-general of the All India Trade Union Congress.

“The Indian government deciding to have a treaty with Israel to send Indian workers there to replace Palestinians goes against the Indian ethos.”

Official: Over 17,000 foreign workers left Israel since 7 October

November 28, 2023 

Travellers arrive to check-in at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv on October 14, 2023 

GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP via Getty Images]


Over 17,000 foreign workers have left Israel since 7 October, after Israel launched its bombing campaign against the besieged Gaza Strip, the Maariv newspaper reported citing a senior official.

The Director of the Immigration and Population Authority at the Ministry of the Interior, Eyal Sisso, told the paper that 9,855 Thai workers in the agricultural sector, 4,331 workers in the construction sector and 2,997 in the nursing sector have left Israel since 7 October, adding that this, in addition to preventing the entry of 85,000 Palestinian workers from the occupied West Bank into Israel has created a shortage of about 100,000 foreign and Palestinian workers.

Sisso said the exodus of thousands of Thai workers came upon the request of the Thai government, after a number of the workers were taken as prisoners of war by the Palestinian resistance.

Sisso said the ministry has worked around the clock to fill the need for foreign workers and has brought in 3,485 workers from India, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, adding that work was done to significantly raise the quotas of foreign workers coming from India from 30,000 to 50,000, and the quotas of workers coming from Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan were also raised.

He explained that foreign workers have also been arriving from African countries including Zambia and Malawi to work in the field of agriculture, and communications began to bring foreign workers from Moldova and Georgia.

Sisso explained that as part of dealing with the emergency, it was decided to extend work permits for foreign workers in the nursing, agricultural and construction sectors.

A three-month temporary permit has also been granted to private companies to bring in foreign workers, depending on the criteria.

Sisso said Israel still continues to bring in Jordanian workers into the hotel sector, where 1,100 Jordanian workers are currently working in hotels in Eilat. Soon, he added, Israel will have to allow the entry of some Palestinian workers in the occupied West Bank into the construction and agricultural sectors.

Hamas’s position is stronger than many think

Hamas has demonstrated surprising resilience and capability since its founding in 1987. It would be a mistake to believe it can be eliminated.

Palestinian supporters of Hamas wave an Islamic flag next to posters of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat during a rally calling for the release of prisoners held in Israeli jails in 2003 in Gaza City. ( Abid Katib/Getty Images)

BEN SCOTT

LOWY INSTITUTE

Follow @Ben_G_Scott

Published 28 Nov 2023 

Hamas has demonstrated surprising resilience and capability since its founding in 1987. It would be a mistake to assume that its 7 October attacks on Israel were a “catastrophic success” that will lead to its downfall, or that it can be militarily eliminated.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant’s promise to remove Hamas from the face of the earth is reminiscent of former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s commitment at the start of the 2006 war to remove Hezbollah from southern Lebanon “forever”. Hamas will be able to claim victory – as Hezbollah did – simply by surviving. Although Lebanon suffered greatly, Hezbollah came back stronger.
Many saw this split as a new opportunity to strengthen the PA and weaken Hamas. But the opposite happened.

If fighting resumes after the current ceasefire, the cost of Israel’s military operation will grow while the benefits will diminish. Many in the international community will hold Israel responsible for the mounting humanitarian crisis. The Israeli Defence Force will find it progressively harder to identify and destroy Hamas personnel and infrastructure. Washington has signalled that its support for operations in south Gaza will be contingent on a plan to protect civilians. Hamas will do everything it can to prevent that.

Hamas is far from popular in Gaza but it has no viable rivals. There no actors willing and able to govern its place. Any Israeli reoccupation would generate continued insurgency. Washington wants the Palestinian Authority (PA) to return to Gaza, but neither it, nor any Arab states, will risk being seen as the new occupying force. International donors will keep footing the bill for humanitarian aid, allowing Hamas to continue ruling Gaza while avoiding most of the responsibilities.

Even if Hamas is evicted from Gaza it will live on, just as the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) did for decades. Indeed, Hamas’ long-term goal is to supplant the PLO. Hamas is probably more interested in leading the Palestinians than in ruling Gaza. Gaza is not the only route to leadership.
Hamas is far from popular in Gaza but it has no viable rivals.

PLO leader Yasser Arafat animated Arab, Muslim and global public opinion to extract support from regional governments and put the Palestinian issue on the geopolitical map. In 1974, the UN General Assembly recognised the PLO as “the representative of the Palestinian people”. In 1994, Israel recognised the PLO and allowed the creation of the PA to administer parts of Gaza and the West Bank.

Arafat’s Fatah faction swept the PA’s first elections but his maladministration and failure to advance negotiations for statehood cost Fatah public support. Hamas convincingly won the 2006 legislative election but was prevented from exercising any real power, so it took Gaza by force in 2007.

Many saw this split as a new opportunity to strengthen the PA and weaken Hamas. But the opposite happened. As Israel’s West Bank settlements expanded, the Ramallah-based PA lost legitimacy and authority. Meanwhile, Israeli restrictions on access to Gaza inadvertently made Hamas-dominated smuggling from Egypt more cost effective, strengthening Hamas’s economic position. Hamas used periodic conflict to burnish its “resistance” credentials and extract concessions from Israel. It obtained far more than the PA did, including the release, in 2011, of 1000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for an Israeli soldier kidnapped five years earlier.

Hamas’s regional fortunes rose and fell with those of “the Arab Spring”. It was especially heartened by the ascendancy of a fraternal neighbour, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Hamas pivoted away from Iran as tension between Sunni Islamists and Iran’s Shia “axis of resistance” grew. In 2012, the leader of Hamas’ political bureau relocated from Damascus to Qatar.

That seemed like a good idea at the time but Egypt’s 2013 counter-revolution saw the return of generals who cracked down harder than ever on the Brotherhood and Hamas. Most Arab monarchies followed suit. More broadly, the Arab Spring failed to deliver a groundswell of regional support for the Palestinians. Arab civil wars and domestic turmoil commanded more attention. The seeming loss of interest in the Palestinian issue enabled Arab governments to normalise relations with Israel to win favour with Washington and counter Iran.

Now the Palestinian question has returned to the top of the regional agenda but with Hamas in the lead. Support is not limited to Iran and its partners and proxies. Qatar, which hosts Hamas’s political leaders, is enjoying praise in the Arab world and, for its mediation efforts, from Israel. Saudi Arabia, which was on the verge of normalising relations with Israel, is now calling for a ban on weapons exports to Israel.

The 7 October attacks stirred memories of Egypt’s surprise attack on Israel 50 years earlier. Popular support for “resistance” from the “river to the sea” is louder than it has been for decades, and will grow if the war continues. Overt support for Hamas may be muted but no one is demonstrating for the PLO, the PA or Fatah, and it is Hamas that is negotiating with Israel in Qatar.

UN says aid entering Gaza amid pause ‘insufficient’

AFP/GENEVA LAST EDITED NOVEMBER 29, 2023 

Palestinian Mohamed Abu al-Humus, former prisoner released from the Israeli jail in exchange for hostages freed by Hamas in Gaza, hugs his mother upon return to his home in east Jerusalem, yesterday

Palestinians fleeing the north walk along the Salaheddine road in the Zeitoun district on the southern outskirts of Gaza City, yesterday.

Palestinians wait to fill their cars with fuel during a temporary truce between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, yesterday.

Palestinians inspect the destruction caused by Israeli strikes in Wadi Gaza, in the central Gaza Strip, yesterday.

The UN welcomed yesterday the increase in aid deliveries into Gaza afforded by a temporary truce but warned it was not enough to even start addressing the Palestinian territory’s massive needs.

UN children’s agency UNICEF said the aid flow to the northern Gaza Strip — the largest since the Israel-Hamas war erupted on October 7 — was “the right start”.

“(It’s) definitely the right type of aid — fuel, medicines, food, warmth,” spokesman James Elder told a press briefing in Geneva via video-link from Gaza.

But, he warned, the needs in the besieged enclave of more than 2mn are so huge that “all this aid is triage... It’s not even enough for triage.” When there are insufficient resources to treat everyone who needs it, hospitals and aid organisations are forced to triage — that is, to prioritise the most urgent cases, or those people most likely to survive, and leave the others.

“The aid needs to multiply... Everything here is emergency care right now,” Elder said.
Margaret Harris of the World Health Organisation agreed.

“The needs are massive. The amount of aid we’ve been able to get in is a trickle still,” the WHO spokeswoman told the briefing.

Their comments came as Israel and Palestinian fighter group Hamas embarked on a two-day extension to an initial four-day truce that has allowed Israeli hostages to be freed from Gaza in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

The truce paused fighting that began when Hamas fighters poured over the border into Israel. Israel’s relentless retaliatory ground and air offensive in Gaza has killed almost 15,000 people, mostly civilians and many of them children, according to its Hamas-run government.

‘HEARTBREAKING’

The truce “has caused a moment of respite, critically to get aid in and also for people to take the heartbreaking task of looking for loved ones”, Elder said.
It was vital for the pause in fighting to be prolonged and turned into a permanent ceasefire, he said.

“It would be callous and cold to think we could turn around and start destroying homes and children and families’ lives again.” At the same time, “there is no way” to get things like desalination and sewage treatment plants on Gaza working properly again during just a temporary pause in fighting.

If the hostilities resume, “mass killing of children” will continue in Gaza, at a time when civilians there are even more vulnerable than before — many living outdoors in increasingly cold weather, malnourished, lacking clean water and with disease threatening, Elder said.
Allowing Israel’s bombardment of Gaza to resume, he said, “would be a dark stain on everyone’s conscience”.

What is Israel's administrative detention system used against Palestinians like Ahed Tamimi?

The New Arab Staff
28 November, 2023

Approximately 150 Palestinians have been released by Israel who were detained under the notorious administrative detention system, without charge or trial

Israeli forces have detained thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank since 7 October [Getty


Around 98 or 150 Palestinian detainees released since a Hamas-Israel hostage swap deal began on Friday were subject to the notorious administrative detention system which allows prisoners to be held indefinitely, without charge.

Administrative detention has been increasingly utilised by Israel, reaching levels not seen in decades, with hundreds more detained in the occupied West Bank since 7 October.

Of those released as part of the truce deal, 119 were children and 31 women.

Amnesty International has highlighted a significant increase in these detentions, saying they were "already at a 20-year high before the latest escalation in hostilities on 7 October" and denouncing them as a part of Israel's apartheid practices against Palestinians.

"Administrative detention is one of the key tools through which Israel has enforced its system of apartheid against Palestinians.

"Testimonies and video evidence also point to numerous incidents of torture and other ill-treatment by Israeli forces including severe beatings and deliberate humiliation of Palestinians who are detained in dire conditions," said Heba Morayef, Amnesty’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

How does the administrative detention system work?

The administrative detention system allows Israel to detain individuals without formal charge or trial, based on the premise that they might pose a future threat.

The detentions are authorised by military commanders and are based on classified evidence that isn't disclosed to the detainees. They are often renewed indefinitely, leaving prisoners in a state of uncertainty, without knowing the charges against them or when they might be released.

This lack of transparency and indefinite nature of the detentions has been condemned by human rights organisations as a violation of international law and an element of Israel's broader measures to control and persecute Palestinians.

How many Palestinians are affected by this system?

As of June 2023, 1,083 out of 5,000 Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons were kept under the administrative detention system. These included three women and 19 children, according to the Palestinian Prisoners' Club.

Data gathered by human rights organisations shows a dramatic increase in the number of Palestinians detained under this system since 7 October.

Between 7 October and 25 November, over 3,160 Palestinians were detained in total by Israel.

The total number of Palestinians held in administrative detention also increased sharply around this time. Between 1 October and 1 November, the total number of Palestinians held in administrative detention, without charge or trial, rose from 1,319 to 2,070, the Israeli human rights organization HaMoked said.


Ahed Tamimi 'could be freed' as part of truce extension

These recent detainees have been part of ongoing negotiations for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Palestinian human rights activist Ahed Tamimi, one of those detained by Israel since 7 October, is reportedly among the most notable figures linked to these exchanges.

Since 1967, Israel has implemented over 1,000 military orders that have criminalised various aspects of Palestinian identity and expression, including political speech and symbolic acts like waving the Palestinian flag, often leading to arrests under charges of 'incitement'.

The Israeli NGO B'tselem says that, since March 2002, "not a single month has gone by without Israel holding at least 100 Palestinians in administrative detention".

How Israel keeps hundreds of Palestinians in detention without charge

"Administrative detention is an anathema in any democratic society that follows the rule of law," 

Ishaan Tharoor, Nov 29 2023

ANALYSIS: A four-day pause in hostilities between Israel and the militant group Hamas was extended by two more days, instead of expiring Tuesday morning, lengthening the brief reprieve offered to Gaza's 2.1 million Palestinians, who have endured weeks of relentless Israeli bombardments.

The move also gave further hope to the families of Israeli hostages abducted by Hamas during its October 7 strike on southern Israel.

Through Qatari and Egyptian mediators, the two sides had agreed on an initial release of 50 hostages in Gaza and about 150 Palestinians, mostly teenagers and some women, imprisoned by Israel, over the four-day period.

Sixty-nine hostages – the majority Israeli but also Thai, Philippine, French, Argentine and Russian citizens and others – and more than 100 Palestinians were released over the first four days.

The extension raises the possibility of more captive exchanges and more moments of joy for their friends and loved ones. But for freed Palestinians, the context in which they return is more barbed and fraught. In lists distributed to media, Israeli authorities label all the prisoners up for release as "terrorists".

Some were convicted of crimes such as attempted murder; others were detained for activities like "throwing stones" or carrying knives. And a few, like 59-year-old Hanan Barghouti, the eldest female prisoner to be released, were in indefinite Israeli custody without any charge.


NASSER NASSER/AP
Former Palestinian female prisoner Hanan Barghouti, who was released by the Israeli authorities, talks to the media upon her arrival in the West Bank town of Beitunia, on November 24, 2023.

While there were scenes of jubilation in Ramallah in the West Bank as a group of released prisoners met their families over the weekend, Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel's far-right national security minister, issued directives cracking down on such celebrations in East Jerusalem, where the Israeli police can directly operate.

"My instructions are clear: there are to be no expressions of joy," he said. "Expressions of joy are equivalent to backing terrorism, victory celebrations give backing to those human scum, for those Nazis."


AMIR LEVY/GETTY IMAGES
Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir in Tel Aviv, Israel, on July 4, 2023.

Meanwhile, in the West Bank, most of which is under Israel's military administration, Israeli authorities have detained roughly as many Palestinians as have been released in the past few days.

A post-October 7 crackdown saw the Palestinian population in Israeli custody almost double, by some measures: According to Palestinian rights groups, more than 3000 Palestinians, mostly in the West Bank, were swept up by Israeli security forces. The majority appear to be held in administrative detention – that is, a form of incarceration without charge or trial that authorities can renew indefinitely.

Under international law, the practice of administrative detention is supposed to be used only in exceptional circumstances. But, as Israeli and international human rights groups document, it has become more the norm in the West Bank. Even before October 7, smouldering tensions and violence in the West Bank had led to a three-decade high in administrative detentions.

Then, according to the Israeli human rights organisation HaMoked, the total number of Palestinians in administrative detention went from 1319 on October 1 to 2070 on November 1 – close to a third of the total Palestinian prisoner population.

NASSER NASSER/AP
Omar Atshan, 17, is hugged by his mother after being released from an Israeli prison on November 26, 2023.

Israel's critics contend that even those charged with specific crimes face a skewed, unfair justice system. Palestinians in the West Bank are subject to Israeli military courts, unlike the half-million Jewish settlers who live in their midst. These courts have in some years churned out convictions at a 99% rate, a state of affairs that raises questions about the due process afforded to Palestinians.

"Palestinians are routinely denied counsel, for example, and faced with language barriers and mistranslations that taint testimonies and confessions used in court," explained Vox's Abdallah Fayyad.

"But it's not only a lack of due process that plagues this legal system. Often times, these cases are based on specious and far-reaching charges."

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Omar Atshan, 17, was released from Israeli prison into the West Bank town of Ramallah, on November 26, 2023.

The dynamics of the Israeli carceral system for Palestinians have long undergirded anger over the broader nature of Israel's military occupation of the Palestinian territories.

"The power to incarcerate people who have not been convicted or even charged with anything for lengthy periods of time, based on secret 'evidence' that they cannot challenge, is an extreme power," noted Israeli human rights group B'Tselem.

"Israel uses it continuously and extensively, routinely holding hundreds of Palestinians at any given moment."

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Released Palestinian prisoners arrive in the West Bank town of Ramallah on November 28, 2023.

The deepening crisis that followed Hamas' bloody rampage on October 7 has only exacerbated tensions.

"Administrative detention is one of the key tools through which Israel has enforced its system of apartheid against Palestinians," Heba Morayef, Amnesty International's regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement this month, citing numerous reports of abuses suffered by Palestinian detainees in recent weeks.

"Testimonies and video evidence also point to numerous incidents of torture and other ill-treatment by Israeli forces including severe beatings and deliberate humiliation of Palestinians who are detained in dire conditions."

Israeli authorities have argued over the years that their practice of administrative detention is in line with policies in other democracies and constitutes a necessary preventive measure, given the security conditions that shape the West Bank.

The feeble Palestinian Authority, which has long worked hand-in-glove with Israeli security agencies, has struggled to tamp down rising anger and militancy among Palestinians in the West Bank.

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33 Palestinian prisoners were released by Israel into east Jerusalem and Ramallah on November 28, 2023.

In recent weeks, Israeli government officials have lashed out at censure from UN officials and organisations like Amnesty International, which an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson described as "antisemitic" and "biased".

But Israel's widespread use of the practice has been long criticised by international observers. A 2012 European parliamentary report described administrative detention as a tactic employed "principally to constrain Palestinian political activism".

In 2020, Michael Lynk, then the UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, called on Israel to abolish the practice.

"Administrative detention is an anathema in any democratic society that follows the rule of law," Lynk said.

"When the democratic state arrests and detains someone, it is required to charge the person, present its evidence in an open trial, allow for a full defence and try to persuade an impartial judiciary of its allegations beyond a reasonable doubt."

Israel incarcerating 44 Palestinian journalists — media body

Israel is holding 29 journalists in addition to 15 already languishing in its jails, says Palestinian Journalists Syndicate.



AA

The syndicate says 70 journalists and media workers, mostly Palestinian. have been killed in the Israeli bombardment of besieged Gaza since October 7. / Photo: AA

At least 44 Palestinian journalists are languishing in Israeli jails, and 29 of them were seized since October 7, a local journalists group has said.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate [PJS] said: "The Israeli occupation forces released 12 of the detained journalists after serving various terms."

It added: "29 journalists are still under arrest." About 15 journalists are already incarcerated in Israeli jails.

The syndicate released a list of the names of 29 journalists detained by Israel in its statement, most of whom are held under administrative arrest [arrest without trial or charge].

The syndicate released on Saturday the names of 70 journalists and media workers who have been killed in the Israeli bombardment of besieged Gaza since October 7.

The list of martyred journalists ranges from technicians, cameramen, editors and investigative journalists.

Three other journalists have been killed in Lebanon.

Israel's war on besieged Gaza has killed over 15,000 Palestinians so far, including 6,150 children and 4,000 women, according to health authorities in the enclave.