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Occupation magazine - Activism Home page  back Print  Send To friend Physicians for Human Rights-Israel: Urgent Appeal for Emergency Donations Physicians for Human Rights-Israel is fighting for the medical rights of Bilal Diab and Thaer Halhala, among others, Palestinian administrative detainees in the advanced stages of a hunger strike. We are in urgent need of financial support. Following the submission of 16 court petitions on behalf of hunger strikers since January, PHR-Israel`s alotted legal funds for the year are now fully depleted. We are concerned that we will not be able to continue to defend the rights of of prisoners on hunger strike, nor take on any more of the scores of new cases we are currently monitoring. PHR-Israel seeks 40,000 Euro/ 52,000 USD in emergency funding for the following: 1) Independent Doctors` Visits: Renumeration for time and transportation costs of independent physicians to southern or northern Israel, where Ktziot, Hasharon, and Ofer prisons are located. 2) Court Petitions and Related Legal Costs: Prior to pursuing legal action, PHR-Israel corresponds directly with representatives of the Israeli Prison Service (IPS), requesting that prisoners on hunger strike receive care and supervision from independent physicians and that they be transferred in a timely fashion to civilian hospitals, in line with Israeli Medical and World Medical Association guidelines. We work to ensure that the strikers are permitted to receive family visits and are not shackled while being cared for in the hospital. In accordance with medical confidentiality guidelines, we also ask that they be examined without the presence of prison guards. THESE REQUESTS HAVE ONLY BEEN GRANTED FOLLOWING THE PURSUIT OF LEGAL ACTION. Since January, we have submitted 16 court petitions on behalf of prisoners on hunger strike (already 4 more than our alotted funds allow) and expect to lodge dozens more in the coming weeks. Included in these legal costs are messenger fees to transfer urgent, time-sensitive documents between government offices, our legal counsel, and PHR-Israel`s offices. 3) Translations and Media Work: In order to bypass the non-compliance of security officials, PHR-Israel has been sharing information with journalists, members of the international community, and the general public to generate heightened awareness and added pressure. In January, information released by PHR-Israel contributed to the issue of administrative detention and Khader Adnan`s hunger strike becoming the second most tweeted subject of the week, which in turn signaled a turning point in international coverage of the issue. The story was picked up by the New York Time`s Lede Blog, which then led to an in-depth article on subject on the cover of the New York Times, as well as by other prominent international publications. In order to remain an active and up to date source, PHR-Israel requires funds to pay for English and Arabic translations. PHR-Israel is the only organization intervening on behalf of the medical needs of detainees and inmates on hunger strike. In addition to Bilal Diab and Thaer Halhala, PHR-Israel waged round the clock interventions on behalf of Khader Adnan and Hana Shalabi, administrative detainees who, earlier this year, waged 66 and 44-day hunger strikes, respectively, before being freed ahead of schedule from administrative detention. PHR-Israel is now currently overseeing the cases of 10 additional detainees on hunger strike and expects to intervene in scores of new cases following the announcement of a mass hunger strike of approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners three weeks ago, on April 17th. Due to the growing number of cases we have been compelled to take on, our regular funding can no longer sustain the additional work that must be done to properly defend and address the health rights and medical needs of these individuals. TO DONATE PLEASE CLICK HERE. There are several ways you can support this emergency appeal: 1)To donate by credit card, please click here. 2) To send a check by post, please make check payable to Physicians for Human Rights-Israel and send to: PHR-Israel Attn: Gila Norich, Director of Development 9 Dror St. Jaffa Tel Aviv 68135 ISRAEL. 3) To initiate a bank transfer: Account Holder: Physicians for Human Rights-Israel Bank: Hapoalim #12 Branch: Haaliya # 503 Address: 69 LewinskyStreet, Tel Aviv, Israel 66855 Account Number: 196959 SWIFT: POALILIT IBAN: IL 78-0125-0300-0000-0196-959  *Please also send a note with your e-mail address informing us of your transfer to gila@phr.org.il 4) US residents may make a tax-exempt donation via the New Israel Fund (NIF). Checks should be made payable to �New Israel Fund�. A note with the check should be marked �donor-advised to Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, ID# 5762.� NIF Postal Address: New Israel Fund P.O.Box 91588 Washington DC 20090-1588 USA NIF Bank details: Citibank 8516 Leesburg Pike Vienna, VA 22182 Account # 15411834 ABA # 254070116 SWIFT: CITIUS33 Account Holder: New Israel Fund  5) UK residents may make a tax-exempt donation online via the British Shalom/Salaam Trust. Checks should be sent, together with your name and address and a completed gift aid form to: British Shalom Salaam Trust PO Box 39378 London SE13 5WH  For more information on administrative detention, the conditions of imprisonment of Palestinian Prisoners and medical treatment, please contact Anat Litvin, Director of PHR-Israel�s Prisoners and Detainees Department, anat@phr.org.il. For more information on donations, please contact Gila Norich, Director of Development, gila@phr.org.il. 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