Journey With Jonathan: Entry #11
Visit To Ramon Prison and Mohammed El-Halabi
Today I visited Mohammed El-Halabi at his prison in the Negev desert. The prison is near Matspe Ramon, in the wilderness where rams roam freely.
Halabi wants to thank all those who have supported him and believed his story from the very beginning. He asked me to assure all of you that not only is he totally innocent but that he has been involved in humanitarian work since his youth, when he worked with Youth for Peace. He continues to work against violence and believes he is being punished precisely because of this.
Halabi related to me that Israel offered him freedom, as well as a scholarship to study for his PhD abroad and a job with the UN, if only he would confess that World Vision is antisemitic or if he provided a secret testimony against OXFAM and Catholic Relief Services. But, he refused. It was clear to him that the Israeli interrogators wanted material to use against foreign NGO’s involved in humanitarian work among Palestinians, but he was unwilling to provide it as it would undermine their work in Gaza and Palestine entirely.
He determined to use his time in prison wisely and started to give the other prisoners courses in all subjects he was good at: Leadership, Strategic Planning, Management, and even Negotiating skills and strategies. He also used the knowledge of other prisoners to start an MA program in Political Science, manging over the years to help graduate (by working with other universities) the first group of 30 MA students from Abu Dis University. He is now working with a second cohort of 30 prisoners.
Halabi firmly believes in nonviolence and humanitarian work. His biggest worry is the support for his family and ensuring that they receive a good education, since World Vision suspended his salary after he was arrested for fear that they be accused of "supporting terrorism." This is a tragedy, since his whole imprisonment is the result of refusing to undermine their work by taking the easy way out and confessing falsely that their money was being diverted for illegal purposes (a charge disproven by their own audit and investigations.)
Halabi also told me amazing things about his trial, which his own lawyer (Maher Hanna, from my Jerusalem law office) was prohibited from telling me, as it is secret. I will be writing about this separately. Suffice it to say, there is nothing about the trial that justifies secrecy other than fear of embarrassment that the evidence of the state is so thin as to be laughable. Halabi is truly a hero and humanitarian, and he wanted me to pass on to you his gratitude.
His appeal will be heard in May, but Amnesty International is about to mount a campaign for his release. I hope this stubborn humanitarian will be able to join his family and enjoy the freedom now seen by these rams.