The Israeli human rights group B’Tselem has published a major new report documenting how the Israeli prison system has become “a network of torture camps,” where physical, psychological and sexual abuse of Palestinian prisoners is normalized and routine. The report, titled “Welcome to Hell,” collects the testimony of 55 Palestinians who were detained by Israeli authorities since October 7 and later released, almost all without charges. This comes as a group of U.N. experts condemned the widespread torture of Palestinians and as Israel’s Channel 12 News aired shocking footage of Israeli soldiers sexually abusing a prisoner at the Sde Teiman army base, where thousands of detainees from Gaza are held. Sarit Michaeli, the international advocacy lead for B’Tselem, says the abuse in Israeli prisons is “systemic, ongoing and state-sanctioned,” reflecting the cruelty and thirst for revenge among a growing number of Israelis. “They would like to have a completely open field in terms of what they can do to Palestinians,” says Michaeli.

The Israeli human rights group B’Tselem has published a major new report documenting how the Israeli prison system has become “a network of torture camps,” where physical, psychological and sexual abuse of Palestinian prisoners is normalized and routine.

The report, titled “Welcome to Hell,” collects the testimony of 55 Palestinians who were detained by Israeli authorities since October 7 and later released, almost all without charges. This comes as a group of U.N. experts condemned the widespread torture of Palestinians and as Israel’s Channel 12 News aired shocking footage of Israeli soldiers sexually abusing a prisoner at the Sde Teiman army base, where thousands of detainees from Gaza are held.

Sarit Michaeli, the international advocacy lead for B’Tselem, says the abuse in Israeli prisons is “systemic, ongoing and state-sanctioned,” reflecting the cruelty and thirst for revenge among a growing number of Israelis. “They would like to have a completely open field in terms of what they can do to Palestinians,” says Michaeli.

You can find the full report of testimonies here

  • @[email protected]English
    10•4 months ago

    Yeah I don’t think posting an article of how Abe got slammed for the suggestion is the smoking gun evidence you think it is. Japan’s coming to terms with its past being – well let’s be blunt an call it an embarrassment – is tangential.

    Seriously I’m a bit confused. You’re accusing Japan of Apartheid and what you’re coming up are those two things, and not the de facto complete absence of a civic, as opposed to ethnic/cultural, national identity?

      • @[email protected]English
        1•4 months ago

        You can get Japanese citizenship after five years of residency, somewhat surprisingly there’s not even a language test. And many many Zainichi did and do.

        If that is Apartheid then I don’t want to know what you have to say about Estonia.

        • @[email protected]English
          -3•4 months ago

          And many many Zainichi did and do.

          Where’s the source. I’ve got one that says the opposite.

          Current Discriminatory Practices

          Nonetheless, despite significant progress, discriminatory practices persist in Japanese society. Naturalization remains the primary means of acquiring full citizenship rights, but the process is complex and discourages many. Nowadays, most Zainichi Koreans are descendants of the forced labourers in the 1920s, so they were born and raised in Japan and speak only Japanese, but they are not eligible for citizenship unless one of their parents is Japanese. Furthermore, as it is against the law in Japan to have two nationalities, for Zainichi Koreans to naturalize would require them to renounce their Korean identity entirely. As Chung put it, “Japanese nationality is closely associated with ethnocultural identity, naturalization applicants must not only renounce their allegiance to their country of origin but must also demonstrate evidence of cultural assimilation”. Moreover, if their ethnic roots were revealed, they would still be seen as outsiders in Japanese society, therefore naturalizing would not even address the underlying causes of prejudice.

          Even though there is no fee to pay for naturalization, applicants frequently have to pay hefty attorney costs to prepare the numerous documents needed to authenticate their family histories.

          Estonia

          Apartheid too? I will say this, doubt you’ll see anyone who gives a single fuck.

          • @[email protected]English
            4•4 months ago

            Where’s the source.

            Like here. About 6000 naturalisations per year.

            Are there issues? Yes. Is it Apartheid? If you think it is, then you are trivialising the shit out of what South Africa has done. What Israel is doing.

            Apartheid too? I will say this, doubt you’ll see anyone who gives a single fuck.

            The Soviet Union settled plenty of people in Estonia when they occupied it, those people didn’t get Estonian citizenship once Estonia got its independence, they got permanent residencies instead. A metric fuckton naturalised in the year since then, which involved learning Estonian.

            Bit of a difference because Estonia was the victim of colonialism, not the aggressor, they would’ve been perfectly within their right to just expel everyone, but the associated identity vs. nationality stuff very much applies.

            • @[email protected]English
              -1•4 months ago

              … trivialising the shit out of

              From 1937–1945, the Japanese military regime may have killed nearly 6 million people, including around half a million Koreans. This estimate includes Koreans who were conscripted into the Japanese army, where over 22,000 were killed.

              I’m with the demons and henchman.

              • @[email protected]English
                3•4 months ago

                That’s a lot of things, bad things, but it’s not Apartheid. Words have meaning. It’s also not current.

                • @[email protected]English
                  -1•4 months ago

                  It’s also not current.

                  Here the conclusion of your own source.

                  Regardless, discrimination still affects their daily lives both visibly and invisibly.

                  Definition of apartheid:

                  system of legalized racial segregation that deprives one racial group of political and civil rights.

                  I’ve provided sources that prove it. Political rights deprived as well as civil. Laws enabling it.

                  • @[email protected]English
                    2•4 months ago

                    Political rights deprived as well as civil.

                    They can, and do, become citizens. The procedure is the same as for everyone else. Are you telling me that black people in South Africa were able to do that.