A Holocaust survivor has chosen to mark her 80th birthday on Friday by bringing her friends together for a solidarity vigil outside an Israeli prison where hundreds of Palestinian inmates arrested after the 7 October attack are being held.
Prof Veronika Cohen, who was born in the Jewish ghetto of Budapest and was saved by what she has described as “a series of miracles”, turned her birthday into a protest in front of Neve Tirtza women’s prison in Ramla.
The protest was aimed at exposing the degrading treatment faced by Palestinian prisoners, as well as bringing attention to Israel’s systematic use of administrative detention – which allows for indefinite detention without charge or trial – during the Gaza war.
“At a time, particularly during this crucial moment, when you think there are no more hearts left to break, mine shattered upon learning about the deplorable conditions endured by Palestinian detainees,” said Cohen, a professor emeritus at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. “Furthermore, I made the decision to stand before this prison where Khalida Jarrar, a Palestinian politician, has been unjustly imprisoned for over 10 months, without any trial received or specific criminal charge pressed against her.” ….more
