Government prosecutors have met with welfare officials to discuss asking the courts to allow them to apply the Juvenile Law to declare the children "abandoned." The children would be removed from their parents' legal jurisdiction and placed under the authority of welfare officials. The parents could be sentenced to jail and fined up to 100,000 shekels ($22,500) for not having prevented their children from breaking the law.
Deputy Welfare Minister Avraham Ravitz and a spokesman for the Child Services department objected to the move, denouncing both the government and the childrens' families for using them as tools in a political argument.
Israel Radio reported Wednesday that one 12-year-old girl has been in jail three weeks for blocking roads, has not identified herself, and that her parents have not visited. However, prison officials have refused any personal visits because they have no way of knowing if the visitors are family members. Lawyers from the volunteer Honenu organization have been allowed to meet with the teenagers.
A Honenu spokesman said about 14 minors still have not identified themselves. Several revealed their names two days ago in expectation of being released, but a district judge rejected their appeal because they refused to agree to the conditions of release, such as not leaving the communities where they live.
Israel radio also interviewed a prison supervisor who said the children are receiving good treatment, but Honenu alleged that in the past week the children have not been permitted to leave their cells except for one hour a day.
"Two children, ages 17 and 18, have been put in solitary confinement because they did not stand up when a supervisor came for inspection and their friends made noise about it," he said. The children also have been denied the opportunity to pray together and have been denied privileges to make telephone calls.
A rabbi from Gush Katif told Israel radio that none of the parents sent their children to block roads, but they did so on their own initiative. He added that many were arrested "for standing next to a traffic light."
All of the children still in jail have been charged with blocking roads, but they could remain there for weeks or months until the courts get around to trying them. "They are part of a campaign against" anti-evacuation forces, Honenu said.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Wednesday blamed parents for not "taking responsibility" for children who block roads in anti-evacuation protests.
Deputy Welfare Minister Avraham Ravitz and a spokesman for the Child Services department objected to the move, denouncing both the government and the childrens' families for using them as tools in a political argument.
Israel Radio reported Wednesday that one 12-year-old girl has been in jail three weeks for blocking roads, has not identified herself, and that her parents have not visited. However, prison officials have refused any personal visits because they have no way of knowing if the visitors are family members. Lawyers from the volunteer Honenu organization have been allowed to meet with the teenagers.
A Honenu spokesman said about 14 minors still have not identified themselves. Several revealed their names two days ago in expectation of being released, but a district judge rejected their appeal because they refused to agree to the conditions of release, such as not leaving the communities where they live.
Israel radio also interviewed a prison supervisor who said the children are receiving good treatment, but Honenu alleged that in the past week the children have not been permitted to leave their cells except for one hour a day.
"Two children, ages 17 and 18, have been put in solitary confinement because they did not stand up when a supervisor came for inspection and their friends made noise about it," he said. The children also have been denied the opportunity to pray together and have been denied privileges to make telephone calls.
A rabbi from Gush Katif told Israel radio that none of the parents sent their children to block roads, but they did so on their own initiative. He added that many were arrested "for standing next to a traffic light."
All of the children still in jail have been charged with blocking roads, but they could remain there for weeks or months until the courts get around to trying them. "They are part of a campaign against" anti-evacuation forces, Honenu said.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Wednesday blamed parents for not "taking responsibility" for children who block roads in anti-evacuation protests.