To feed or to free
Israel’s awkward bargaining with detainees who refuse to eat
ONE man’s fast, maintained behind the police barricades at Barzilai Medical Centre, highlights an agonising quandary for Israel. Muhammad Allan, a 31-year-old Palestinian lawyer and member of the militant Islamic Jihad group, this week entered the tenth week of a hunger strike. He was woken up on August 18th after four days in a medically-induced coma, and swiftly delivered an ultimatum: if his case was not resolved within 24 hours, he would refuse to drink water.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “To feed or to free”
Discover more
Syrian rebels sweep into Aleppo in an embarrassing rout for Bashar al-Assad
The Syrian dictator will not be able to count on help from Russia and Iran, his closest allies
America under Joe Biden plays the pragmatist in Africa
Donald Trump is likely to follow suit
New cures for Africa’s most gruesome diseases
Sleeping sickness, riverblindness and more could be tackled
Nigeria seeks to restore pride in its artefacts, ancient and modern
A new museum in Benin City will showcase “a cauldron of creativity”
The Lebanese-American businessman in Donald Trump’s inner circle
Can Massad Boulos influence the incoming administration in the region?
Israel and Hizbullah strike a fragile deal to end their war
Joe Biden makes a last push to bring peace to the Middle East