Israel Matzav

Some 'Palestinians' seeking jail time

A Reuters story issued Thursday quoted army officials as saying that, since the beginning of the year, dozens of Palestinian youths have turned up at West Bank checkpoints with makeshift weapons, hoping to get arrested.

Under interrogation, the youths have said they wanted to avail themselves of the educational services and inmate stipends available in Israeli prisons.

Several of the detainees have been released after the army determined that they posed no security threat. But Israel is concerned by the phenomenon, given the chance that soldiers at checkpoints could respond to the armed Palestinians with lethal force.

Since they are incapable of getting a decent education in the West Bank or Gaza, many are increasingly trying to get arrested so as to benefit from Israeli educational programs run in prison. Now that is a different kind of education in prison. They would rather be imprisoned by the Israelis than live under the tutelage of their own incompetent and evil leadership.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:53 AM