BREAKING NEWS

Israel can't surrender to hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners, says Likud minister

Israel mustn't capitulate to the Islamic Jihad operative who has been on a hunger strike for over two months and whose health has deteriorated to life-endangering levels, a right-wing minister told Channel 10 on Sunday.
Zeev Elkin, the minister of immigration and absorption, told Channel 10 on Sunday that Israel cannot accept the demands of Muhammad Allan, the Palestinian who declared a hunger strike to protest his being held in administrative detention.
"The State of Israel can't allow itself to be held hostage to hunger strikes by prisoners because today it's one prisoner and tomorrow it will be others," Elkin said. "Today it's a prisoner in administrative detention and tomorrow it will be someone who was sentenced to jail after a fair trial."
"That is why the state passed legislation [mandating the force-feeding of hunger-striking prisoners] and it needs to be implemented," Elkin said.