Images of Adnan and the detainees became symbols throughout the region of Palestinian steadfastness.For the current prisoners movement to achieve its demands, it will take more than resolve. Public support and mobilization on the ground is crucial, coupled with sustained media attention and scrutiny of Israels abusive practices towards the Palestinian population.Meanwhile, for nearly a quarter of a century, the Oslo accords dangled an illusory peace carrot that usefully distracted the global community as Israel nearly quadrupled its settler population in the West Bank, marking even a highly circumscribed Palestinian state unrealizable. Irael's imminent celebrations of 50 years of occupation should lay to rest any confusion that the occupation is still considered temporary. And when occupation becomes permanent as it has happened in Palestine, it metamorphoses into something far uglier.It's past time to recognize that Israel has established an apartheid regime and one that serves as a vehicle for incremental ethnic cleansing. If there are to be talks, ending that outrage must be their first task.The Empire Files: Silencing Palestine - Prison & Repression Responding to international concerns with respect to the recently declared massive hunger strike held by Palestinian prisoners, the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs made up the following hasbara:The Palestinian prisoners are not political prisoners. They are convicted terrorists and murderers. They were brought to justice and are treated properly under international law.There are no less than seven lies/inaccuracies in Israel's statement:1. Not political prisoners? In fact, the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) makes a clear distinction between Palestinians imprisoned on criminal charges and those imprisoned for security or in other words political reasons, including entirely separate prisons for each category.2. Terrorists? Terrorism is, of course, a floating signifier, a word used by one party to undermine another, and used by Israeli officials to describe pretty much everything they dislike (the New York Times, for example, were accused of journalistic terrorism for publishing Marwan Barghoutis op-ed). As pointed out endlessly before, isnt the bombing of a defenseless civilian population, such as the repeated airstrikes on Gaza, nothing short of terrorism?3. Murderers? This term is used to dehumanize the hunger strikers, as even the IPS confirms that only 12 percent of security prisoners were convicted of crimes related to the loss of human life. Furthermore, the competence of Israels legal system in convicting Palestinians of such charges is contested, as Israel officially does not offer West Bank residents a fair trial (more on this below). Most convicted Palestinian security offenders are incarcerated based on political activity, including membership of illegal organizations (this includes the ruling party Fatah, a group the IDF coordinates with daily). Of Palestinian children arrested, a majority are convicted of non-lethal stone-throwing, a charge for which they can face up to twenty years in prison.4. Brought to justice? Israel regularly holds hundreds of detainees without trial and hundreds of political prisoners under administrative detention for undetermined periods of times without disclosing their allegations.5. Justice?! Israel judges Palestinians in what could best be described as an apartheid legal system, under which an incompetent military court imprisons Palestinians in a