Middle East Monitor

January 2012
Monthly Media Digest

By Ibrahim Hewitt, Zulaikha Abdullah and Samira Quraishy


  • This month, Harriet Sherwood, together with fellow colleagues at the Guardian wrote a special report and produced a number of short documentaries highlighting the predicament of Palestinian children in Israeli jails. Human rights organizations including B'Tselem and Defence for Children International (Palestine Section) raised serious concerns over the arbitrary arrest and detention of Palestinian children. In the Guardian's documentary, Palestinian minors spoke of solitary confinement in "Cell 36". The film also shows footage of a 14 year old boy being interrogated in the middle of the night, and in the absence of any parent, guardian or lawyer.


  • Following publication of Sherwood's article, UNICEF issued a statement raising its concerns and asserting that children had the "right to protection against violence and abuse", It also said that it would be "monitoring the arrest and detention of children and is currently in dialogue with the Israeli authorities to improve the protection of child detainees … All children, at all times, must be treated with dignity and respect, in accordance with the convention on the rights of the child." British Foreign Secretary, Alistair Burt, also informed the Guardian that he had "raised concerns about the treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli detention. I urged the Israeli government to address these concerns."


  • Israeli Government Spokesman, Mark Regev, said that if there were any concerns, that they would be raised by the complainants.
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