For Elisheva Federman, whose husband Noam is the only Jew under administrative detention in Israel, this is not the first time. Her first six-month stint with raising her seven children alone while her husband is held on unknown charges ended just last week - and her second six-month stint began the very same day. She says she suspected all along that her family's ordeal would not end last week, and that the authorities would do all they could to keep Noam in prison for yet another six months - and that is in fact what happened.
Sounding strong and far from broken, Mrs. Federman told Arutz-7's Yosef Zalmanson today that she and her children have not visited her husband in several weeks. "It's not that they don't allow us to visit," she said. "They do - but under such inhumane and cruel conditions that it's simply not worth it. There are those who have been convicted of attempted murder and yet they are allowed to actually touch their children during their weekly visits. But Noam is allowed to see us either only through a window, or while manacled to a guard who does not leave us alone for a second. We tried it once, but the children were so thrown by it that we won't go again. Our baby, 1.5 years old, doesn't even recognize him any more; we saw this when we went to the court hearing last week."
Asked whether she had met with Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz, who signed the detention orders against her husband, Elisheva said, "He doesn't want to meet with me. I requested a hearing for my husband or for me before he made his decision last week, so that he could at least hear the side of the people whose fates he is decreeing - but he refused. I also once met him by chance when paying a condolence visit, and I started to talk with him, but he refused to respond."
* A petition on Federman's behalf can be read at "http://www.petitiononline.com/federman/petition.html".
* Left-wing MK Zahava Gal'on of Meretz has declared, "If the police have evidence against him, he should be indicted," she said, "but if not, he must be freed. It is shameful that I, head of [left-wing] Meretz, have to demand the release of [right-wing] Federman."
* A rally was held demanding his release in Zion Square in Jerusalem two days ago, and Hassidic singer Dov Shurin performed a free "Freedom Concert."
* Faxes can be sent to Minister Mofaz at 03 (from abroad: +9723)-6976218.
"These efforts are welcome, but not sufficient," Elisheva says. "A massive public outcry against this injustice is needed."
Sounding strong and far from broken, Mrs. Federman told Arutz-7's Yosef Zalmanson today that she and her children have not visited her husband in several weeks. "It's not that they don't allow us to visit," she said. "They do - but under such inhumane and cruel conditions that it's simply not worth it. There are those who have been convicted of attempted murder and yet they are allowed to actually touch their children during their weekly visits. But Noam is allowed to see us either only through a window, or while manacled to a guard who does not leave us alone for a second. We tried it once, but the children were so thrown by it that we won't go again. Our baby, 1.5 years old, doesn't even recognize him any more; we saw this when we went to the court hearing last week."
Asked whether she had met with Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz, who signed the detention orders against her husband, Elisheva said, "He doesn't want to meet with me. I requested a hearing for my husband or for me before he made his decision last week, so that he could at least hear the side of the people whose fates he is decreeing - but he refused. I also once met him by chance when paying a condolence visit, and I started to talk with him, but he refused to respond."
* A petition on Federman's behalf can be read at "http://www.petitiononline.com/federman/petition.html".
* Left-wing MK Zahava Gal'on of Meretz has declared, "If the police have evidence against him, he should be indicted," she said, "but if not, he must be freed. It is shameful that I, head of [left-wing] Meretz, have to demand the release of [right-wing] Federman."
* A rally was held demanding his release in Zion Square in Jerusalem two days ago, and Hassidic singer Dov Shurin performed a free "Freedom Concert."
* Faxes can be sent to Minister Mofaz at 03 (from abroad: +9723)-6976218.
"These efforts are welcome, but not sufficient," Elisheva says. "A massive public outcry against this injustice is needed."