Wave of protests in West Bank over the arrest of Samer Issawi who broke his parole terms after his release under the ‘Shalit deal’.

Detained since July, he is expected to be released next month.

Aviel Magnezi

Against the backdrop of West Bank protests expressing solidarity with hunger striking Palestinian prisoners, administrative detainee Samer Issawi was sentenced Thursday to an eight month prison sentence – this for illegally entering the West Bank, thus breaking the terms of his release in the Shalit prisoner exchange.

His retroactive sentence, running from the day of his July 2012 detention, means his release is anticipated for March.

Due to his past involvement in terror, Issawi had previously been sentenced to 26 years imprisonment, but was released under the Shalit  deal with the stipulation that he not enter the West Bank. In July 2012, Issawi was caught breaking the terms.

According to Issawi’s own admission, he had violated his release terms and attempted to influence a witness, telling a friend who was in the car with him when they were stopped at the Aram checkpoint, not to say where they were coming from. Issawi has been on hunger strike since the beginning of his imprisonment.

Judge Eitan Kornhawser said that although Issawi had disobeyed a high level order, the action itself was a low level offense, and that one should first weigh in on the current offense, before examining the background.

Concurrently, the judge noted that one must examine the past offense, and the sentence it received. “This makes clear the grave danger the accused presents to the public,” he stated. Issawi was sentenced to eight months imprisonment and six months probation.

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