Ofer - Knives, Women

Translation: Marganit W.

The Double Oppression of Palestinian Women – Occupation and Patriarch

Quite often you hear of girls and women arriving at a checkpoint with a knife; if they are not killed, they end up in court and in jail. In the majority of cases they do it out of personal distress (what the Palestinians call “social reasons”).

This is also the story of Aatadel Issa Salem Barakan – ID 393590319

Defense: Atty. Akram Samara

Aatadel comes from the village of Bani Naim. She is married to her second husband who comes from Gaza. She has a small store in Bani Naim. She was able to save 20,000 shekels which she gave to her husband to buy supplies for the store (a woman, after all, cannot drive around and shop for herself). The husband took the money and disappeared. Aatadel assumed that he went to Gaza. In her distress, she went to Kiryat Arba police station and lodged a complaint. The police investigation found that the husband is in Ramallah and summoned him for investigation. He did not show up, obviously.

Out of desperation, Aatadel grabbed a knife and headed for the checkpoint at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. She announced to several people that she had no intention of harming anyone, she only wanted to get arrested.

The indictment was read at the hearing, and an arraignment hearing was set for 20.7.16.