Idea Factory hosts student discussion on prisoners’ strike

The Idea Factory at Birzeit University hosted Qadura Fares, head of the Palestinian Prisoners Club, for a discussion on the Palestinian prisoners’ hunger strike movement, on Monday, July 30, 2018.

The discussion, attended by students of all majors and political affiliations, began with Fares explaining the recent battle of opinions in the Palestinian public sphere on the issue of the Palestinian prisoners’ hunger strike, with some people claiming “we gave the prisoners’ cause too much attention, such that it took away from more ‘important’ causes.”

Fares attributed the discord to a number of reasons that all had an impact on the stagnation of the political process. “The recent strife within the Palestinian community can be traced back to the setbacks that have plagued the Palestinian cause, such as political disunity [the political division between the West Bank and Gaza], and the abandonment of values that were set by the Palestinian national movement,” he said.

Fares remarked that the key to restoring Palestinian unity lies within the main values that were enshrined by the Palestinian Liberation Organization, such that each action undertaken by Palestinians would serve to achieve the Palestinian dream of statehood.

“We must unify our efforts to support Palestinian prisoners, whatever their affiliation may be. We’re standing up for the right of those who embody the Palestinian struggle for liberation,” remarked Fares, who noted that the Palestinian Prisoners Club has been campaigning for the rights of prisoners since 1993.

The Idea Factory, a Birzeit University-based initiative,  is a group of Palestinian youth which aims to strengthen the role of young people in shaping Palestine’s current and future situation and actively contribute to developing the public space.