Last update - 00:00 11/10/2007
PA furious over move to forbid visitors from bringing prisoners candy
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent
The Palestinian Authority is enraged over a recent Prison Services decision to forbid security prisoners from receiving candy from visiting relatives, and has called the move a provocation.
Ashraf al-Ajrami, PA prisoners' affairs minister, told Haaretz that the decision is motivated by Israel's desire to thwart peace attempts and hurt the PA government, let by prime minister Salam Fayad.
"There are people in the government of Israel who want the Palestinian government to fail. They are ministers with a personal agenda who fear peace and prefer a Hamas government," Ajrami said.
Ajrami warned that any moves against the prisoners would adversely affect Palestinian public opinion, because of the enormous clout of their cause. "It will hurt us and it will hurt Israel," Ajrami said.
Prison Services officials said that the decision is a professional one reached by Commissioner Benny Kaniak. They also said that this was not a matter of discrimination, as it applies to everyone.
"This is an egalitarian policy that doesn't discriminate between Arabs and Jews and between the religious and the secular. Even over Hanukkah, sufganiot [holiday pastries] won't go enter prison walls," said an official.
PA sources say that this is the first time in four years that visitors won't be allowed to bring candy to their imprisoned relatives on Id al-Fitr, the holiday that marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.