Skip to main content

Why Did Israel Forget About a Prisoner in Egypt?

After 12 years in Egyptian prison, Israeli Ouda Tarabin embarks on a hunger strike as a last resort to awaken public opinion, writes Shlomi Eldar.
A Bedouin stands in front of a coffee shop overlooking Coloured Canyon in the Sinai Peninsula near the town of Nuweiba March 2, 2007. The 800 metre (0.5 miles) long rock formation consists of sandstone, limestone, granite and veins of basalt.      REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic        (EGYPT) - RTR1N0X1
Read in 

“Israel isn’t doing enough to free me. I am launching a hunger strike.”

With these words, Ouda Tarabin ended his letter to the Israeli Embassy in Cairo. Ouda has spent the past twelve years in an Egyptian prison, after being convicted of espionage. In his handwritten letter he claimed that Egypt did not grant him a fair trial. He asked that his letter be relayed to Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.