Tachles with Aviel – Does the Red Cross think Israel is stupid?

The outrageousness often knows no bounds, especially when it comes to people and organizations like the Red Cross, who tell us what a better world should look like.

By Aviel Schneider | | Topics: Hamas, Gaza
Photo: Shutterstock

A few days ago the Red Cross wrote a letter to the Commissioner of the Israel Prison Service and the Israeli Foreign Ministry. The Red Cross is concerned about Palestinian terrorists in Israeli prisons. The reason for the letter was Israel’s recent decision to reduce the overly comfortable prison conditions for Palestinian terrorists in local prisons, so-called “security prisoners.” “Treat all those who have been deprived of their freedom with humanity and respect,” the Red Cross letter read. Do they think we’re stupid?

Israeli Prison Service Commissioner Katy Perry made it clear to the Red Cross: “In the current situation where we have 240 hostages in the Gaza Strip who are not receiving help or visits, we will not allow Red Cross visits to Israeli prisons.” Perry’s response went on to note that while would Israel won’t violate international law, it will limit the conditions of detention of Palestinian terrorists to a minimum.

Katy Perry, Commissioner of the Israel Prison Service. Photo by Flash90

The Red Cross reminded Israel that it is obliged under the Geneva Conventions to provide full access to all facilities where security detainees are held. “Giving the Red Cross access is not only a legal obligation, but can also help ease growing tensions inside and outside prisons,” the Red Cross wrote in its letter to Israel.

Senior lawyers and legal experts, including former Supreme Court justices, are currently advocating for the families of the Israeli hostages, including retired Supreme Court President Aharon Barak. He wrote a letter to the president of the International Red Cross, whom he knows personally. “She called me back and assured me that the Red Cross would do everything it could to fulfill its obligations, but that she was skeptical about whether it was within their power to visit the Israeli hostages [in Gaza],” Barak said.

Relatives and friends of Israelis held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip are calling on the Israeli government to work for their immediate release. Photo by Gili Yaari/Flash90

The organization has detailed its specific demands on Israel, but the Red Cross does not seem to dare make demands on the barbaric Hamas regime. “Israel must ensure that everyone deprived of their liberty receives humane treatment and is held in humane conditions of detention, free from any form of ill-treatment, torture and anything that could violate personal dignity.” Another demand from the Red Cross: “It must be ensured that every sick or injured person receives appropriate and prompt medical care, with particular attention to be paid to detained children.”

Palestinian prisoners in their cell at Ayalon Prison in central Israel. Photo by Nati Shohat/Flash90.

As a reminder, we are talking about Palestinians who were arrested for terrorist activities and should therefore be defined as “terrorists.” It always amazes me how quickly all international organizations are committed to the suffering of the Palestinians. In this case they are terrorists. Now the Red Cross is working to ensure that they can sleep well in Israeli prisons, with a soft pillow, that they get enough medication and that they can be visited by their families. About two weeks ago, the government decided to reduce the benefits Palestinian prisoners enjoy in Israeli prisons, which angered many Israelis considering that these are terrorists and not “political prisoners.”

Do you know who was one of the most famous prisoners in Israeli prisons? Today’s Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar. After 22 years in Israeli prisons, he was released in 2011 in a hostage exchange with over 1,000 other terrorists for the kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh kisses freed Palestinian prisoner Yehiye Sinwar upon his return to the Gaza Strip in 2011. Photo by Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90

And it goes further. During his captivity in Israel, Israeli doctors saved Sinwar’s life. They operated on him; he suffered from a brain tumor. And on October 7th he gave the order for the massacre in southern Israel. Israel must urgently stop investing in Palestinian terrorists in Israeli custody.

Here is Israel’s full response to the Red Cross:

“Due to the ongoing war, the suffering of innocent Israeli citizens and the extensive security measures required in prison service at this time, it is impossible to coordinate the Red Cross visits you request.”

The Israeli Commissioner added:

“I appreciate the Red Cross’s performance and influence internationally and your ability to gain access to and information about people in danger. I am sure that you will do everything in your power to establish direct contact with all abducted citizens and soldiers in the Gaza Strip who are being held in unknown locations. I am sure you will also seek information and evidence about their lives and health, because this is a nightmare for their families.”

In other, more polite words, Perry told the Red Cross that it could forget about visiting  Palestinian terrorists in Israeli prisons. As long as the Red Cross does not pass on information to Israel about Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian prisoners are not allowed to receive visitors. I also suggest that the entire Red Cross Committee first watch the 40-minute film documenting just some of the atrocities of the Palestinian monsters on October 7 before preaching to Israel regarding the treatment of Palestinians. That’s exactly what we did, and that’s why we find ourselves in this impossible situation today.

You Might Also Like
Load more
Members

Israel Today Membership

Read all member content. Access exclusive, in-depth reports from Israel! Free Zoom events. Connect with Israel right from your home! Raise a voice of truth and hope. Support Faith-based journalism in Jerusalem!

Monthly
Membership

$5
/ month
Full access to Israel Today's Member-only content on all Digital Platforms.
Become a Member

Yearly
Membership

$46
/ year
Full access to Israel Today's Member-only content on all Digital Platforms.
Save 18% Per Month.
Become a Member

Six Months
Membership

$28
every 6 months
Full access to Israel Today's Member-only content on all Digital Platforms.
Save 9% Per Month.
Become a Member
Israel Today comments guidelines Kommentar-Regeln

One response to “Tachles with Aviel – Does the Red Cross think Israel is stupid?”

  1. Vernon Ryan says:
    November 6, 2023 at 6:57 pm

    In a way this reminds me of Vietnam in 1968 after the Tet offensive was over. The LBJ phrase of, “Mah fellow Americans,” was spoken and the prisoners of war in the POW camps, who had been well taken care of from their wounds and near starvation to pre-release conditions of near perfect health, were released. They went back into the jungle, rearmed, then came back at us. Our POW’s were never helped by their captors, if they died they were left to rot in the jungle and never found. Those who escaped and made it back to our lines were in bad health and wounds not cared for except what other captives could do for them. The red cross didn’t do much if anything for our people then, either.

Leave a Reply

Israel Today Newsletter

Daily news

FREE to your inbox

Israel Heute Newsletter

Tägliche Nachrichten

KOSTENLOS in Ihrer Inbox

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter