Palestinian prisoners held captive in Israeli jails are planning to start a hunger strike on July 3, according to news coming out of Ramallah from the Palestinian Prisoners Club. They are protesting 'harsh' changes in Israeli government policy toward their living conditions. At the close of last Thursday's Presidential conference, PM Netanyahu announced that his government has decided to toughen the conditions for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons. "Israel is taking a series of steps to change the prisoners' conditions. We will stop among other things, the absurd practice in which Palestinian prisoners enroll in academic studies. The celebration is over.... There will be no more doctorates of terror."  This refers to the former generous policy that prisoners are able to advance their education while serving out their sentences. These new actions are all being proposed in direct response to Hamas' continued rejection of the International Red Cross demand to allow...(Read Full Post)