Germany disbands Samidoun for ‘anti-semitism’

The German Minister of Interior has decided to increase restrictions on pro-Palestinian organizations including Samidoun, a network aimed at raising awareness of the plight of Palestinian prisoners.

Members of the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network wave Palestinian flags during the “Revolutionary May Day” demonstration marking International Workers’ Day, in Berlin, on May 1, 2023. (AFP)

German authorities have decided to ban the activities of Samidoun, an international network of organizers and activists who work to build solidarity with Palestinian prisoners.

Germany’s Minister of Interior, Nancy Faeser, announced that she will also be “completely” banning the activities of Hamas, the Palestinian Resistance party. Hamas had already been designated as a “terrorist” organization in Germany, which makes the decision ambiguous as it does not specify what the term “completely” indicates.

Samidoun, also known as the Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, works to support and advocate for thousands of Palestinian prisoners held captive in Israeli prisons. Faeser claims that the organization is spreading anti-semitic propaganda.

German authorities have obscured the clear distinction between anti-semitism and anti-zionism. This is not the first time that individuals or organizations have been accused of antisemitism by the German government or corporations. In fact, earlier last year, German state media Deutsche Welle (DW) went on an Israeli-sponsored media purge, dismissing several employees for expressing pro-Palestinian opinions.

One of the employees was Jordanian-Palestinian journalist Farah Maraqa who later won an appeal against DW for arbitrarily firing her.

Maraqa confirmed in June 2022, that the Berlin Labour Court ruled that DW‘s dismissal of the journalist over alleged anti-semitism is “not binding” and that DW has “intentionally misinformed the staff council.”

Samidoun targeted amid increased punitive measures in Israeli prisons

The “leftist” German government’s targeting of Samidoun occurred just within a day of the Palestinian Prisoners Center for Studies releasing a report that exposes the brutal and illegal tactics employed by Israeli occupation authorities in the West Bank, particularly with regard to prisoners.

“Israel” has arrested over 1,850 Palestinians from the West Bank in October, as most of these individuals are held under administrative detention, a systematically oppressive method employed by Israeli authorities under the pretext of preemptive action.

The report also highlighted that thousands of Gazan workers were illegally detained and sent to secret camps.

Moreover, authorities also increased punitive measures against prisoners, cutting electricity off of their cells, serving them inedible food, cutting off water supply, and depriving them of medicine, among other measures, including solitary confinement and torture.

Samidoun is one of many pro-Palestinian groups that work on building solidarity with Palestinian prisoners. The organization was established following a hunger strike that lasted from September to October in 2011.

The Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network raises “awareness and provides information on Palestinian political prisoners, their conditions, their demands, and their work for freedom,” the group explained in their About us page, which you can access through their website.

Samidoun is based in 16 cities across 14 countries including Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Brazil, and Iran. It is also affiliated and linked with several organizations and groups including HIRAK a Palestinian youth movement based in Germany.

Western governments continue to turn a blind eye, and even endorse blatant violations of international law committed by “Israel”. Germany has taken the extra step to target pro-Palestinian organizations and silence voices that document the plight of Palestinian prisoners.