Haaretz English Edition Conjures Palestinian ‘Political Prisoners’
In an article about the possible loss of state funding for Jaffa Theater, Haaretz‘s Judy Maltz conjures up “Palestinian political prisoners.” Online and in print (Thursday, page 1), Judy Maltz wrote that a June production included the reading of letters penned by Palestinian “political prisoners”:
Finance Ministry’s legal adviser, Asi Messing, said representatives of the Jaffa Theatre would be summoned to a hearing in connection with two specific events held on their premises: a performance in June based on the recital of letters written by Palestinian political prisoners . . . (Emphasis added)
According to the U.S. State Department 2016 Human Rights Report for Israel: “There were no reports of civilian political prisoners or detainees” (page 16).
On what basis does Haaretz identify the prisoners in question as “political prisoners”? Political prisoners are (see, for example, the definition by the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly) are imprisoned “for purely political reasons without connection to any offence.” (Emphasis added.)
The play does not identify the prisoners by name or their offenses. If Haaretz editors knows the identity and specifics of these prisoners allegedly held only the basis of their political activity, they haven’t said so.
In a Hebrew article published the same day as Maltz’s piece, Yair Asheknazi refers to the letter of a “security prisoner”:
Ashkenazi’s Hebrew article stated (CAMERA’s translation):
In the production “Prisoners of the Occupation,” produced by Einat Weizman, in early June at the Jaffa Theater, letters recited included correspondence between a security prisoner and his childhood friend, in which he described the daily life of prisoners.
Haaretz‘s English version of Ashkenazi’s article omits mention of the security prisoner.
See also “Haaretz, Lost in Translation“
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