Israel as a Rogue State 313

	06 January 2011 URGENT APPEAL - Children of Silwan 76% of children arrested in Silwan tell DCI they suffered some form of physical violence during arrest, transfer or interrogation.

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Incident: Arrest of children – Violation of rights 

Location: Silwan, occupied East Jerusalem 

Date of incidents: October to December 2010 

Number of incidents: 24 (cases documented by DCI-Palestine) 

Ages: 7 to 17 years 

Accusation: Stone throwing 

Date of issue: 6 January 2011 

Muslim O.  – On 18 October 2010, a 10-year-old boy from 

Silwan, in occupied East Jerusalem, reports being grabbed and 

beaten by three men in civilian clothes, and taken to Al- 

Mascobiyya interrogation centre for questioning. Under Israeli 

law, a child below the age of 12 should not be interrogated. 

 Mohammad G. – On 25 October 2010, a 12-year-old boy 

from Silwan, in occupied East Jerusalem, reports being 

grabbed and beaten by a policeman on his way to school, and 

taken to Al-Mascobiyya interrogation centre for questioning.  

Adam R. – On 24 November 2010, a seven-year-old boy from 

Silwan, in occupied East Jerusalem, reports being beaten by 

soldiers on his way to school. The experience has made Adam 

fearful of leaving his home. 

Background information 

The neighbourhood of Silwan is situated just outside the Old City walls of Jerusalem, located in the 

occupied east of the city. Approximately 16,500 Palestinians live in the central section of the 

neighbourhood. Although accepted as occupied territory under international law, Israel purported to 

annex the east of the city after occupation in 1967, and applies its own domestic law to the territory. The 

annexation has no legal validity under international law, and is not recognised outside Israel. According 

to the UN, Silwan has become one of the main centres of Israeli settlement activity and is currently home 

to 380 settlers, who live in properties taken over by various means from their original Palestinian 

residents.  According to the UN, Palestinian residents of Silwan report harassment and intimidation by 

 the settlers and their security guards, and clashes between residents and soldiers and police are frequent. 

On 21 June 2010, the Jerusalem Municipality’s Planning and Building Committee approved a plan to 

demolish 22 Palestinian houses in Silwan to make way for an archaeological garden. 

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In 2010, reports of a sharp increase in the number of children being arrested from Silwan and East 

Jerusalem have been recorded. According to Israel Police figures, between November 2009 and October 

2010, the Jerusalem District opened 1,267 criminal files against Palestinian children living in East 

Jerusalem who were accused of throwing stones. During the same period, the Israeli NGO, B’Tselem 

reports that 81 children from Silwan have been arrested or detained for questioning, mostly on suspicion 

of stone throwing.  

On 24 November 2010, 60 prominent Israeli professionals wrote to Prime Minister Netanyahu, and other 

senior officials raising their concerns about the violent treatment of Palestinian children in occupied East 

Jerusalem. The letter states that ‘children and teenagers related that they had been dragged out of their 

beds in the middle of the night or arrested in their neighbourhoods by undercover detectives and special 

security forces; taken in for questioning while handcuffed and unescorted by their parents; in certain 

cases, the families were not notified of the arrest in real time; minors were asked to give names and 

incriminate friends and relatives as a condition of their release; were threatened and humiliated by their 

interrogators; and some of them were even subject to physical violence while taken in for questioning 

and under interrogation.’  

In the three months between October and December 2010, DCI-Palestine has investigated 24 cases from 

Silwan, and collected 18 sworn affidavits, 15 of which were taken from children. In two out of the 15 

cases, the children were not arrested. In one of these cases, the child was beaten and then immediately 

released by soldiers, and in the other case, an 11-year-old boy was struck in the head with a rubber 

coated steel bullet. The ages of these children range from 7 to 17 years. 

Specific violations 

Based on the evidence collected by DCI-Palestine, the violations against the children of Silwan include, 

but are not limited to, the following: 

 Interrogation of children under 12 years - (8 percent):- Under Israeli law which is applied to 

occupied East Jerusalem, children under the age of 12 are not held criminally liable for their actions 

and must not be detained. Out of the 13 cases in which DCI-Palestine collected sworn affidavits from 

children who were arrested, one child (8 percent) was under 12. Since the beginning of 2010, 

B’Tselem, has documented the detention of four children below this age. 

 Violence during arrest, transfer or interrogation – (76 percent):- The types of violence reported to 

DCI-Palestine includes, punching, slapping, kicking, beating with a rifle, and in one case, throwing a 

pen at a child’s head during interrogation. 

 „A soldier started hitting me on the back with the barrel of his rifle and I screamed out in pain and 

said to him: “I didn‟t do anything.” But he kept hitting me for about a minute when my mother came 

and started shouting: “Leave him alone, he must go to work.” But one of them pushed her really 

hard and knocked her down.‟ (A. G. – 16 years) 

 „They put me inside the jeep and one of them started kicking me all over my body and slapping me 

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until we arrived at Al Mascobiyya.‟ (B. R. – 13 years) 

In total, out of the 13 cases in which DCI-Palestine collected sworn affidavits from children who 

were arrested, 10 children (76 percent) reported some form of physical violence during their arrest, 

transfer or interrogation. Violence in similar circumstances has also recently been reported by 

B’Tselem.  

 Painful hand ties – (61 percent):- Under section 10B of the Youth (Trial, Punishment and Modes of 

Treatment) Law, alternatives to restraints should always be considered and they should not be used 

beyond what is strictly necessary. Restraints should only be used to prevent escape or to prevent 

harm to others. 

„The interrogator left me alone in the room with my hands still tied behind my back. I was feeling 

pain because the ties were very tight. I kept trying to move my fingers so that the blood could run 

through them. I stayed alone in the room for about three hours and no one came in or brought me 

food or water.‟ (I.O. – 17 years) 

In total, out of the 13 cases in which DCI-Palestine collected sworn affidavits from children who 

were arrested, eight children (61 percent) reported having their hands tied. These figures are similar 

to data collected by B’Tselem, in which 14 out of 22 children (63 percent) reported having their 

hands tied. Many children report pain and swelling in their hands from the use of restraints. 

 Interrogated in the absence of a parent – (53 percent):- Under Israeli law which is applied to 

occupied East Jerusalem, parents are entitled to be present during the interrogation of their children, 

except in special limited cases. Out of the 13 cases in which DCI-Palestine collected sworn affidavits 

from children who were arrested on suspicion of throwing stones, five children (38 percent) were 

interrogated in the absence of their parents, and a further two children (15 percent) were questioned 

without their parents being present for at least part of the interrogation. In one such case, a 12-year- 

old boy reported as follows: 

„When my father left the office, I felt scared and focused my eyes on the floor. “You think the Israeli 

intelligence is joking here? I‟ll lock you up and you‟ll never see your family ever again,” the 

interrogator shouted at me. He got up, approached me, and slapped me across the face and I kept my 

head down, while placing my hand over my face so that he wouldn‟t slap me again.‟ (M. O. – 12 

years) 

In total, out of 13 cases, seven children (53 percent) were interrogated for some time in the absence 

of their parents, during which time they report being threatened, and in some cases, assaulted. The 

interrogation of children in the absence of their parents has also recently been reported by B’Tselem.  

 Threatened during interrogation – (53 percent):- The types of threats reported to DCI-Palestine 

typically involved a threat to imprison the child for a long time. 

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„“It‟s better you talk or I‟ll slap you and knock you down,” he said.‟ (I. M. – 12 years) 

“Listen, I‟ll put you in jail for a long time if you don‟t confess and you‟ll never see your family ever 

again, what do you think of that?” he said.‟ (Y.J. – 14 years) 

„The interrogator didn‟t read me my rights. He interrogated me in Arabic. “Why did you throw 

stones at Jews in Silwan?” he asked. “Because they want to take our house,” I said. “Who was with 

you?” he asked. “I don‟t know them,” I said. “Then we‟ll put you in jail for a long time,” he said. 

“Do whatever pleases you,” I said.‟ (A.H. – 14 years) 

In total, out of 13 cases, seven children (53 percent) reported being threatened during interrogation. 

This figure corresponds exactly with the percentage of cases in which children were interrogated in 

the absence of their parents. 

Recommended action 

Please send Urgent Appeals in relation to the arrest and detention of children in Silwan, occupied East 

Jerusalem, urging the following: 

1. The immediate end to the use of violence by the Israeli army and police during the arrest of children; 

2. No child should be interrogated in the absence of their parents; 

3. All credible allegations of ill-treatment must be thoroughly and impartially investigated and those 

found responsible for such abuse be brought promptly to justice; and 

4. The immediate removal of all Israeli settlements in occupied East Jerusalem as they violate 

international law and are a source of constant tension. 

  

Appeals to: 

 Your elected representatives; and 

 The Israeli embassy in your country [list of Israeli diplomatic missions worldwide]. 

Please inform DCI-Palestine if you receive any response to your appeals and quote the UA number at the top of this document – ria@dci-pal.org