Palestinians Brutalized by PA Bring Their Case to The Hague

“The fact that there are people who have experienced this inferno should shock every human being, no matter which nation you belong to, and what your political views are,” said attorney Barak Kedem, the Jewish Press reported.

By United With Israel Staff

Last week, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague heard several testimonies from Palestinians who have suffered brutal torture at the hands of the Palestinian Authority (PA) due to suspicions that they were collaborating with Israel.

The victims are said to have been subjected to electric shocks, hanging upside down for extended periods of time, molten plastic poured on their bodies, teeth and fingernails pulled out, forced sterilization, denial of sleep and food, having their relatives raped and murdered, and more.

Two years ago, Jerusalem District Court Judge Moshe Drori ruled that the PA was responsible for abuses against 52 Israeli and Palestinian citizens from Judea and Samaria, reported Israel Hayom. The court ordered the PA to pay 14 million NIS ($3.9 million) to the plaintiffs as compensation for their suffering as well as 1.5 million NIS (410,000) in court costs.

Following the finding, the Jerusalem Institute of Justice (JIJ) is seeking an international criminal probe against PA President Mahmoud Abbas.

According to Israel Hayom, the JIJ and the Jerusalem District Court joined forces in order to “show the world the brutality with which the Palestinian Authority treats its prisoners,” explained attorney Barak Kedem, representative of the plaintiffs.

“The fact that there are people who have experienced this inferno should shock every human being, no matter which nation you belong to, and what your political views are,” Kedem is quoted as saying by The Jewish Press.

“We cannot stand idly by at the horrors of the Palestinian Authority,” he stated. “I hope that following the appeal to The Hague and world leaders, states will ask themselves if they want to continue to be part of the mechanism that transfers funds to the Palestinian Authority, and that the court in The Hague will demand an accounting from the perpetrators of the atrocities in the PA.”

Important that the World Know ‘How Cruel the PA is’

“It is important that the world know and recognize how cruel the Palestinian Authority is. In the letters, we have asked world leaders to use their influence to stop the harm to the life, security and freedom of the residents of the Palestinian,” said Flavia Sevald, director-general of the JIJ, the Jewish Press reported.

Filmed testimonies of the Palestinian victims were shown at the ICC.

Attorney Uri Morad, head of the international law department at the JIJ, is reported by Israel Hayom as saying, “In February, we contacted the ICC at The Hague and asked for a criminal probe into PA President Mahmoud Abbas on suspicion of crimes he [allegedly] perpetrated against his own people, including an ongoing and extensive spree of murder, torture, and illegal imprisonments against the Palestinian population. The testimonies that will be presented…demonstrate a well-oiled system that uses violent means to oppress the civilian population.”

The filmed testimonies include a Palestinian saying he wished for death more than 20 times a day because of the suffering he was experiencing under the PA. Another stated, “The top guy showed me an explosives belt and said I would either wear it and carry out a bombing in Israel or they would kill me right there.”

Changing Negative Perceptions of Israel

Another Palestinian shared that, at one point, he had entered Israel illegally in order to perpetrate a terrorist attack. However, instead, he was badly hurt in a car accident. Rushed to an Israeli hospital, he was saved by the medical treatments he received.

That medical care prompted him to change his negative opinions about Israel, leading him to help the country fight against Palestinian terror.