The Warden of Jericho Prison Feels Insulted

by Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem

The warden of Jericho prison said to Professor Abdul-Sattar Kassem, in a sharp tone: “What you just did is an insult to the police — please step into the office.”

The story:

On June 9, 2005, a large delegation headed to Jericho prison to visit Palestinian detainees, foremost among them Ahmad Sa’adat, the leader of the Popular Front. As Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem was entering, he saw a foreigner standing on the roof of the prison, and it was clear to him that this was one of the Americans or Britons tasked with supervising Sa’adat’s detention on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. The doctor pointed his finger toward the foreigner to draw the attention of those with him to this Palestinian farce. The foreigner saw him and waved his hand in a gesture of greeting. At that, the doctor raised his voice, saying:

“I am not saying hi to you, you shouldn’t be here, this is Palestinian land, you should be out.”

The warden of Jericho prison was provoked, and shouted in the doctor’s face, saying the phrase quoted above. The professor then turned back, took his identification card, and left the prison. Minutes later, a delegation went after the doctor to bring him back for the visit, but he refused.

What matters is that the prison warden apparently still does not feel insulted by the presence of foreigners supervising his conduct toward the detainees, nor does he feel insulted at being a prison warden who holds Palestinian strugglers in detention.

The problem is that every Palestinian policeman or security officer who carries out such security work tells his guests or interlocutors that he is only following orders, that he bears responsibility for his own actions, and asks people to find him an excuse. The truth is that whoever is not pleased with his work, or feels that he is doing work that violates morality and the national interest, ought to look for another job. The excuse is not acceptable.

In explaining the warden’s behavior, Professor Abdul-Sattar noted that the orders given to the warden are certainly very strict regarding the protection of these foreigners who monitor the prison, and ensuring that they are not exposed to any friction.

Source: Translated from the original Arabic, “مدير سجن أريحا يشعر بالإهانة” by Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem.