PAGE 01 JERUSA 03239 01 OF 07 010259Z RELEASED IN FULL
ACTION SS-25
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 SSO-00 /026 W
037624 010303Z /62
R 301108Z NOV 78
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2236
INFO AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
SECRET SECTION 1 OF 7 JERUSALEM 3239 DECAPTIONED
STADIS/////////////////////////////
EXDIS
E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: PINT, SHUM, CVIS, IS, JO
SUBJECT: TREATMENT OF SECURITY SUSPECTS ON WEST BANK
REF: (A) JERUSALEM 1500, (B) JERUSALEM A-13, (C) JERUSALEM A-19
1. THE FOLLOWING REPORT PREPARED BY VISA OFFICER ALEXANDRA
JOHNSON IS BASED ON HER INVESTIGATION INTO THE QUESTION OF
MISTREATMENT OF ARAB SECURITY SUSPECTS ARRESTED BY ISRAELI
MILITARY AUTHORITIES IN THE WEST BANK. THE THOROUGH AND
PAINSTAKING RESEARCH AND WRITE-UP CONDUCTED IN PART ON THE
OFFICER'S OWN TIME) IS LARGELY BASED ON HER QUESTIONING OF
FORMER SECUTIY [sic] PRISONERS WHO, SOMETIME AFTER THEIR RELEASE, HAVE APPLIED FOR VISAS TO THE UNITED STATES. IN THE COURSE OF MS. JOHN'S [sic] OBLIGATORY INQUIRY INTO THE REASONS FOR THEIR SECURITY CONVICTIONS, SHE WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN MOST OF THE BASIC DATA FOR THIS REPORT.
2. ALTHOUGH THE POST DOES NOT NECESSARILY AGREE WITH ALL
OF THE DEDUCTIONS AND CONCLUSIONS CONTAINED IN THIS REPORT, THE WEIGHT OF EVIDENCE POINTS TO THE VALIDITY OF HER GENERAL
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CONCLUSION THAT PHYSICAL MISTREATMENT IS SYSTEMATICALLY USED
ON MANY ARAB SECURITY SUSPECTS INTERROGATED IN THE WEST BANK. THIS MISTREATMENT IS USED TO OBTAIN A CONFESSION TO SECURITY OFFENSES AND TO OBTAIN INFORMATION ON OTHER PALESTINIANS WHO
MAY ALSO BE INVOLVED IN SECURITY OFFENSES. THE NUMBER OF
CASES AND THE CONTENT OF THE INDIVIDUAL STORIES REVEAL A
CERTAIN CONSISTENCY. OF COURSE, THE POST CANNOT CORROBORATE
FIRSTHAND THE STORIES OF THE PERSONS WHO TALKED TO MS. JOHNSON. HOWEVER, THIS [is] A PROBLEM GENERAL IN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORTING.
3. THE POST FULLY UNDERSTANDS ISRAEL'S LEGITIMATE CONCERN
OVER SECURITY ON THE WEST BANK AND ACCEPTS THE PREMISE
THAT A MILITARY OCCUPATION REGIME MAY NECESSARILY SUPERCEDE [sic]
THE BASIC CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS WHICH ARE EXPECTED IN A FREE
DEMOCRATIC STATE LIVING IN A STATE OF PEACE. NEVERTHLESS, SERIOUS MISTREATMENT OF PRISONERS IS A CAUSE OF HUM [sic] RIGHTS CONCERN TO THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT WHENEVER IT OCCURS. IT SEEMS CLEAR FROM THE RESEARCH OF MS. JOHNSON THAT, BY ANY US OR WESTERN STANDAR [sic] OF POLICE PRACTICE AND INTERROGATION, ISRAELI PRACTICES ON THE WEST BANK GO BEYOND ACCEPTABLE CIVILIAN NORMS.
5. RELATIVE TO TREATMENT OF SECURITY SUSPECTS IN NEIGHBORING
COUNTRIES, WE ARE, OF COURSE, NOT ABLE FULLY TO JUDGE BUT
SUSPECT THAT ISRAELI ACTIONS ARE NO WORSE THAT WHAT MIGHT
BE APPLIED TO, FOR EXAMPLE, AN ISRAELI SECURITY SUSPECT IN
JORDAN, SYRIA OR EVEN EGYPT. SUCH JUDGMENTS, HOWEVER, ARE
BEYOND OUR KEN AND IN ANY EVENT, NOT EXPECTED OF US. WE MENTION
THIS TO ATTEMPT TO APPLY A PERSPECTIVE WHICH THE GOVERNMENT
OF ISRAEL WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY SEE.
6. MATERIAL IN THE SECTION OF THE REPORT BY MS. JOHNSON
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REGARDING USE OF COERCED CONFESSIONS AS THE SOLE MEANS
OF CONVICTION ON SECURITY OFFENSES IS CORROBORATED BY
JERUSALEM A-19. IN JERUSALEM A-19, TWO OTHER CONSULAR
OFFICERS AT THE POST OBSERVED THE DISREGARD BY AN ISRAELI
MILITARY JUDGE OF A REQUEST FOR INVESTIGATION OF CHARGES THAT
THECONFESSIONS [sic] WERE OBTAINED UNDER COERCION. OUR OFFICERS
IN THAT CASE REPORTED THAT THE JUDGE DID NOT SERIOUSLY
INVESTIGATE THE CHARGES AND THAT HE CONSIDERED THE ISSUE
OF ALLEGED COERCION AND MISTREATMENT TO BE IRRELEVANT.
7. THE POST BELIEVES THAT CONTENTS OF THIS CABLE ALONG
WITH REFERENCES SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN PREPARING
FOR CONGRESS THE REQUIRED ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS SECTION ON ISRAEL.
8. BEGIN TEXT OF REPORT: