“Will you remember my name?”

[Iqbal Tamimi]

“Will you remember my name?”
By Iqbal Tamimi • Jul 4th, 2008 at 21:14 •


When one Israeli person is killed or kidnapped, the media makes sure every single person hearing the news would know the name of that person, giving the incident a human dimension. But this has never been the case with Palestinians who have been killed, imprisoned or kidnapped by the Israeli authorities.

Palestinians are considered as a demographically abundant population, it is alright not to know their names; they are ignored on a human level. Their names are never mentioned. When Palestinians are killed you only hear about numbers, their blood is diluted by the media manipulators who do not have the decency to respect human life on both sides.

This is why I thought of mentioning the names of a few young Palestinian men who died inside Israeli prisons. When you read their names, remember that each one of them has a family and friends, and each of them has his own dreams and hopes, and his blood screams at you, “WILL YOU REMEMBER MY NAME?” And most of all, almost all of them were killed inside Israeli prisons during interrogations before being convicted or standing in a court to a fair trial. The majority are very young, this is another tactic of Israeli authorities to empty the country of its people as soon as possible.

Fadi Abdellateef Abu Alrob, 19 years of age, born 1987 in the town of Qabatiya near the city of Jenin, has died inside the Israeli prison after 5 months of imprisonment. Jamal Elsaraheen, another young man from my hometown Hebron, died on the 16th of January 2006. Maher Dandan, from the city of Nablus died inside an Israeli prison on the 9th of June 2007. From the city of Tulkarm the young man Mohammad Elashqar, was shot by Israeli soldiers directly in the head at the Naqab prison on the 21st of October 2007!!!!!!!

Does this seem reasonable, all those young men dying at such a young age, maybe as young as yourself, or as your own son!

It would be total ignorance to think that all those young men died of natural causes. Fadi Abu Alrob, 19 years of age, was victim number 74 to die inside an Israeli prison since only December 1987 (those who I knew of). He died inside Jalbooaa Israeli prison after being denied treatment. This number does not include 193 prisoners killed while being arrested.

Jalbooaa prison was built in 2004 to the north of Palestine, copying US high security prisons in structure and system, and not far from Shatta prison in Beesan area. The prison of Jalbooaa is the sardine tin where 800 Palestinian prisoners are waiting their turn to die of medical neglect or direct assault by the Israelis. Or to be used as a negotiating card when the need arises.

Fadi Abdellateef was the second prisoner to die at Jalbbooaa prison, after Bashshar Arif Bany Oodeh 27 years of age, who died on the 23rd of June 2005 because of medical neglect as well. Bashshar is from the city of Tammoon.

Those young people died before savouring life, not because they were driving fast cars, or because they had injured themselves while being drunk or while playing dangerous sports. They all died because they were not only imprisoned by the racist cruel Israeli government, but because they were denied access to medical aid when they needed it too.

Please think of each of the following names as someone you know. For now, I have listed the names of only 42 young men only who were killed inside the Israeli prisons before even being tried, but the list is much longer than you would expect.

1- Khader Elias Fuad Altarzi, 19 years of age, from the Alsabra area in Gaza. Died in Soroka Hospital after a torture session on the 9th of February 1988.

2- Qandeel Kamel Ilwan, from Albraij Camp in Gaza, died on the 24th of February 1988 at Ashkelon Prison, of medical negligence.

3- Ibraheem Mahmood Mohammad Elraee, 28 years of age, from the city of Qalqeliya, died on the 11th of April 1988 of torture during the investigation.

4- Ayyad Mohammad Aql, 17 years of age, from Albraij camp in Gaza, died on the 2d of August 1988 after being kicked and hit severely during investigations.

5- Ata Yosif Ahmad Ayyad, 20 years of age, from Qalandya camp near Jerusalem, died on the 4th of August 1988 after being beaten and strangled during investigation.

6- Ali Ibraheem Alsamoodi, 30 years of age, from Alyamoon area near Jenin, died on the 16th of August 1988, shot down by the prison wards.

7- Asaad Jabr Zaki Elshawwa, 19 years of age, from Gaza, died on the 16th of August 1988 after being shot down by the prison wards.

8- Nabeel Mostafa Jameel Badah, 20 years of age, from Bait Haneena near Jerusalem, died on the 16th of August, 1988 after been beaten up until death.

9- Hani Theeb Saleem Elshami, 47 years of age, from Jabaliya camp near Gaza, died on the 23rd of August 1988 after being beaten to death.

10- Abdelminem Hasan Alqolaq, 56 years of age, from Khan Yonis near Gaza, died on the 7th of October 1988 of medical negligence.

11- Ibraheem Yaser Mohammad Elmtoor, 22 years of age, from Saeer town near Hebron, killed on the 7th of October 1988 after being beaten to death.

12- Abdallah Mohammad Abo Mahrooqa, 28 years of age, from Dair Elbalah near Gaza, shot dead on the 21st of October 1988.

13- Mohammad Mosa Hammad, from the town of Silwad near Jerusalem, died in prison of a heart attack on the 9th of January 1989.

14- Mahmood Yosif Oliyyan Almasry, 35, from Rafah near Gaza. Killed during torture sessions while investigation on the 6th of February 1989.

15- Nidal Zuhdi Omar Theeb, 22 years of age, from Alamaari camp near Ramallah. Shot dead on the 8th of February 1989.

16- Omar Mahmud Alqasim. 48 years of age, from Jerusalem. Died inside the prison due to Medical negligence, on the 4th of June 1989.

17- Mohammad Salah Hasan Alrifi, 50 years, from Altoffah neighbourhood of Gaza. Died inside the prison on the 10th of August 1989, suffering many illnesses and deprived of medical care.

18- Jamal Mohammad Abd-elati Abu Sharkh, 22 years of age, from Alshatea camp in Gaza, beaten to death, and strangled during interrogations.

19- Bader Mohammad Saeed Qaradeh, 12, from the city of Nablus, beaten to death on the 18th of December 1989.

20- Khalid Kamel Elsheekh Ali, 27, from Alrimal neighbourhood in Gaza, died during torture investigation session on the 19th of December 1989.

21- Mohammad Abdelrazzaq Eed, 67, from the city of Tulkarem, suffered a heart attack inside the prison and died immediately on the 4th of January 1990.

22-Raeq Husain Mousa Salman, 26, from the city of Tulkarem, died of lack of medical help on the 12th of February 1990.

23-Sabry Mansour Abed Rabboh, 18, from the city of Ramallah, he was shot down by the Israeli prison guards and died instantly on the 7th of July 1990.

24- Husam Salim Quraan, 24, from the city of Qalqeeliya, suffered a heart attack inside the prison and died on the spot on 28/8/1990.

25- Ateeyeh Abdelati Alzaaneen, 35, from the city of Bait Hanoon in Gaza, tortured to death on the 2nd of November 1990.

26- Abdulla Yusuf Alawneh , from the city of Jenin. Died on 11/11/1990. After 3 days of his release. He suffered health problems inside the prison caused by torture during detention.

27- Mustafa Abdulla Alakkawi, 36, from Jerusalem. Died on 4/2/1991 after being subjected to torture during interrogation.

28- Husain Abduraheem Harb, 21, from the city of Bait Ola near Ramallah. Died inside prison on the 14th of February 1991 of medical negligence.

29- Ali Hasan Abdulhaleem Alshahid, from city of Tulkarem, Died on the 8th of June 1991 after being beaten and tortured at the quarters of the Civil Administration.

30- Sami Noman Zorob, 33, from city of Khan Yonus in the Gaza Strip. Died on the 22nd of August 1991 of medical negligence.

31- Jasir Ahmad Ali Abu Rmaileh, 39, from Tulkarem camp, died of a heart attack at an Israeli prison on the 20th of October 1991.

32- Mustafa Mahmoud Barakat, 25, from Anabta town near Tulkarem, died during a torture session while being investigated by Israeli prison wardens on the 10th of January 1992.

33- Mousa Aberahman, 32,, from Noba village near Hebron. He was shot dead by the Israeli forces inside the prison on the 18th of January 1992.

34- Sameer Mohammad Salamah, 24, from Khan Yonis, Gaza. Died during torture and investigation on the 15th of February 1992.

35- Ahmad Ibrahim Barakat, 26, from Alain Camp in Nablus, killed by the Israeli prison guards on the 5th of May 1992.

36- Sameer Omar Khamees Omar, 17, from Alshatie Camp in Gaza. Killed by Israeli interrogators on the 14th of May 1992.

37- Mohammad Sulyman Husain Brais, 30, from Khan Yonis in Gaza. Tortured while interrogated. He died on the 29th of June 1992.

38- Hazim Mohammad Eid, 23, from Om Alsharayyet near Ramallah. He was killed by torture during an investigation session.

39- Husain Nimer Asad Obaidat, 22, from Almokabber mountain in Jerusalem. Died inside the prison of a “heart attack”.

40- Ayman Ibrahim Mohammad Barhoom, 20, from Rafah in Gaza. Died inside an Israeli prison on the 27th of January of medical negligence.

41- Ayman Saeed Hasan Nassar, 23, of Dair Albalah in Gaza. Died during investigation. He was beaten up without any mercy, by Israeli authorities on the 23rd of March 1993.

42- Mohammad Salamah Aljundi from Alarroob camp near Hebron, he was killed while tortured in Hebron’s central prison on the 10th of May 1993