Despite difficulties, Palestinian women continue to marry prisoners
More Palestinian women are marrying prisoners serving life sentences in Israeli jails in what they see as an act of patriotism.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — About 7,000 Palestinian prisoners linger in Israeli jails, including more than 470 sentenced to life imprisonment. While many of them are married with children who are growing up without their fathers, others sometimes get married while serving long prison sentences.
On Sept. 30, 30-year-old Heba Ayad from the town of Abu Dis married 40-year-old Munzer Snobar from the town of Yatma in Nablus. Snobar is detained in an Israeli prison.
Ayad, who has been working at the Hurriyat Center for Defense of Liberties and Civil Rights in Ramallah for five years, is one of dozens of young women who have married prisoners serving life sentences. Snobar was arrested on Dec. 29, 2003, and given four life sentences for participating in several military operations against the Israeli forces during the second intifada (2000-2005).
Ayad told Al-Monitor that her engagement to Snobar “was out of complete conviction and not out of sympathy,” expressing her happiness with her decision.
