State Sanctioned Torture in
“Stolen Youth: The Politics of Israel’s Detention of Palestinian Children”
The inhumane treatment of Palestinian children prisoners is the general focus of Stolen Youth; however, the writers behind this work of nonfiction contend that this treatment is part of a bigger plan set forth by the Israeli government. They claim the goal of the treatment is:
”demoralizing and defeating the population … It is designed not only to punish but also to intimidate. It is intended to convey the message that resistance is fruitless in the face of these overwhelming control structures. Above all, it is designed to render the population passive: the Israeli army, secret service (the Shabak) and police will reach out and target anyone – including the weakest and most vulnerable sectors of Palestinian society” (Catherine Cook 23).
DCI/PS, the organization behind the writing of Stolen Youth, attempt to demonstrate how the treatment of Palestinian children plays into what they view is Israel’s ultimate goal concerning the Occupied Territories, to “control the land, the economy, and the resources without assuming direct responsibility for the resident Palestinian population” (29). The authors argue that Israel is involved in using methods that are designed to “undermine the identity and self-confidence of the individual and the community” (23) methods also known as torture.
Cathrine Cook, Adam Hanieh and Adah Kay, the writers of Stolen Youth were all staff members of Defense of Children International at some point between 1999 and 2003. This organization, also known as DCI, is an international organization that currently enjoys consultative status with groups such as the United Nations Economic and Social Council, UNICEF, UNESCO and the Council of Europe was created in 1979. In 1992, DCI/PS, PS the Palestinian branch of the DCI’s organization, was established, making it one of 45 national branches that make up DCI (Defence of Children International Palestine 1). As staff members, these writers’ colleagues were often former victims of the Palestinian/Israeli prison system. Those relationships, along with their involvement in research and outreach programs, have given them a level of knowledge not easily obtained. In writing this book, they were aided by Israeli organization such as Hamoked, Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories and B’Tselem. At the time of publishing, DCI/PS was the only child rights organization working in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (Catherine Cook viii).
Stolen Youth is divided into three sections, with each one focusing on a particular aspect of the imprisonment system that child prisoners are forced to go through in Palestine. In Part I, “Framework and Context” (chapters 1-4) opens with a brief history of children prisoners in Palestine, creating a framework to better understand the following chapters. This flows into Chapter 2, which deals with the system of control Israel has established over the Occupied Palestinian Territories since 1967. The authors go a step farther by dealing not only with the history of Israeli control, but also by delving into the possible reasons why Israel has established tools such as curfews and checkpoints, what they hope to gain from such measures and what impact all of this has on Palestinians. Chapter 3 narrows in on the Israeli military orders and court system that has been established in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), a system which the authors theorize is designed to give legitimacy to the occupation. The last chapter in this section deals primarily with International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law. Within this chapter a reader is informed of the legal rights to which every child is entitled.
The writers set up Part II, “Arrest through Incarceration” so that readers can easily follow the pattern of abuse a child experiences from his arrest through his imprisonment. Chapter 5 is concerned with the first stage of a child’s imprisonment – the arrest and transfer to a detention or interrogation center. This chapter depicts children, some as young as 13, being blindfolded, bound and beaten, and finally taken to a location unknown to them or their families for reasons also often unknown (66). It draws on over a decade worth of testimony from former child prisoners to establish that the stories given are not random incidences but are, in fact, all part of a deliberately established system of abuse. Chapter 6 moves to the next stage of imprisonment which is that of interrogation and detention. In this chapter, we are given a firsthand look at the living conditions that children are placed in while waiting for their trial, as well as disturbing yet matter of fact testimonies of the treatment they received at the hand of Israeli soldiers. It is here we read about Huwwara Detention Center near the city of Nablus where six to nine children are forced to together in one room, not given soap, shampoo, clean water, or bathroom facilities and only enough food to feed two people (72). The last chapter in this section deals with the problems children face once placed in jail. This includes, but is not limited to, being put in adult facilities alongside adult criminals instead of other juveniles. There is also the difficulty they face in having access to a lawyer, as well as sentencing being determined more by the political climate at the time rather than the actual crime committed.
The last four chapters of the book make up Part III, “Analysis and Conclusion”. In this section, the writers first try and bring all the information together by going over information from Chapter 4 regarding International Human Rights and Humanitarian law and taking a more pointed look at how these laws are being broken. The psychological impact of undergoing such treatment is also examined. However, what is most interesting are the last chapters, in which the writers examine how Israel is able to get away with this behavior in light of it being condemned by not only the United Nations, but also lawyers, both Israeli and foreign, and numerous government, relief and aid agencies .
This book has a number of things going for it, first it is written by people who have experienced firsthand life in the Occupied Territories. The importance of this cannot be overly stressed. Relying on media feeds and personal relationships and interactions will only gain one so much insight into a situation. The real impact of life under occupation can only be understood and felt when one has experience it for oneself. The fact that the writers the use such stark language in the delivery of their information is another credit to them and this book. Often, books that cover divisive subject matter use inflammatory or proactive language to influence the reader. Stolen Youth does not employ such tactics. Instead it allows the reader to establish their own emotional reactions to events and policies depicted in the book, instead of relying on the writers to do it for them.
The heart of the book, however, is found in its use of personal experiences. The facts and statistics are great for they establish credibility. If that was all this book had to offer, it would still be horrible to read about the plight of these children; yet, it would be rather easy to forget them once the book was finished. By letting us hear their voices as well as the voices of lawyers and aid workers, a sense of indignation is created that children, especially children in the developed world, are being allowed to be treated in such a manner. Along with the anger is devastation, a bit of your heart that is breaking as well.
From my own experience, the authors of Stolen Youth have given an accurate depiction of life for Palestinians under Israeli Occupation. Having gone through check points, road blocks and an interrogation myself, I can confidently say that these are all tools designed by the Israeli government to instill fear, especially for Palestinians but also those who sympathize with their cause.
When I was interrogated, I was terrified, yet rationally I have to ask myself, why was I afraid? I am not Palestinian; they could not just throw me in prison (I was not doing anything illegal) or harass my family. Yet there I stood, shaking as I answered question after question about my presence in the West Bank. As an American citizen, I was confident that these people could not hurt me, yet they still had power over me. They had the power to revoke my visa and force me to leave the country, baring me from entering for next ten years. This is something that I had seen them do under the guise of “security” with another westerner with whom I worked. We were both English teachers at the time.
Works Cited
Catherine Cook, Adam Hanieh, Adah Kay. Stolen Youth: The Politics of Israel's Detention of Palestinian Children. London: Pluto Press, 2004.
Defence of Children International Palestine. n.d. 19 September 2011
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