Cats Are Illegal; A Potential Terrorist Threat

Saed Bannoura

IMEMC, November 22, 2009

The Israeli Prison Administration at the infamous Negev detention camp decided to banish and punish wild cats for befriending Palestinian political prisoners and providing them with light services.

It seems that imprisoning the detainees under conditions that violate the international law and the Fourth Geneva conventions is not enough, it seems torture, medical negligence and solitary confinement is not enough, an issue that pushed the prison administration to punish cats for befriending the detainees, and 'providing them with some services.

The detainees in the Negev detention camp are taking care of some cats that entered the detention camp, in the Negev desert, through the barbed wires, and are feeding them although they do not have sufficient food.

The fact the detainees have some cats as 'wild pets’ or 'friends’ bothered the Prison Administration to the level of decided that cats are not allowed.

Israeli soldiers manning the detention camp even placed a cat in solitary confinement for a while after suspecting it was helping them, and of course for befriending them.

The cats might be guilty to some extent as they reportedly carry some foods and light stuff between the cells, providing some comfort, maybe some food, to the detainees in solitary confinement.

The Palestinian Ministry of Detainees in Gaza said that the Ahrar Woledna "We were born free" Website reported that the prison administration in the Negev Detention Camp decided to act against those cats that befriended the detainees.

But there are dozens of cats walking around the tents and rooms in several Israeli prisons and detention centers, especially the open-air detention camps like the Negev.

No matter what the punishment is, maybe 'anti-cat fences’ or cat traps, or I really don’t want to know what else, the simple fact here is that the Israeli Prison Administration has been working hard to keep the spirits of the detainees low, to keep them isolated and deprive them from anything that would draw a smile on their faces.