Chaya Ofek asked us to pick up the  belongings of two persons illegally in Israel who’d been released without, of course, their documents, telephone or money.  In possession of all the necessary forms – their power of attorney, proof of their identity, where they were, a list of the belongings stored when they were jailed – I arrived.

A sour, hoarse female warden asked who I was and responded:  Human rights?  What about our own people?  She doesn’t yet understand that they are our own people and our fate is linked to theirs.  A few phone calls and a warden arrived with the belongings.

He was much more welcoming.  “You’re doing holy work,” he said to me.  “I greatly respect people who believe in what they do.” [He didn’t see my jaw drop.]

He met every request I made willingly and patiently; together we checked everything to insure nothing was missing.

When I told him they’re people who want only to earn money for their families, and aren’t terrorists, they’re just like us, want a future for themselves, and many of the problems are due to deprivation, pressure and despair, he said he knows, and that it’s the government that decides everything.  “You know,” he said, “I really don’t know why you have such a negative image.”  “I don’t know either,” I said.  “Maybe now you could say something to help change it.”

“Look, my parents also experienced hardships and deprivation in the Qastina immigrant transit camp…”  So we talked about the difference between living with hope and an ideal, and living without them.  At the end of our conversations he again told me how much he respects what we do, and we parted with a handshake.  The belongings reached their owners, who’d waited for them impatiently, that same day.

I’m reporting all this because we must contact the Israel Prison Service so they change their procedures.  I don’t understand why it’s so difficult to take prisoners to trial along with their few, necessary possessions, so whoever is released gets his wallet and phone and money and ID returned immediately, and will arrive home more safely and peacefully.  And whoever is taken back to prison will have his belongings returned there as well.  How much do they weigh?  The weight of the present injustice and iniquity is much greater.

There are people in the IPS who also understand that it’s possible to be humane and considerate even to these “terrible criminals.”  Just devote a bit of thought and good will, like that decent warden I described.  They don’t have to be punished twice.  The continuing occupation is punishment enough.