Jewish anti-Zionist Communists on hunger strike against the prison regime of imperialist Britain led then, as today, by the ‘Labour Party.’

‘Palestine Prisoners Call Hunger Strike’ from The Daily Worker. Vol. 5 No. 168. July 17, 1928.

BEIROUT, Palestine. When the political prisoners in the Jerusalem jail were just about to set out on their allotted walk, they were ordered to return to their cells, because the time had not quite come for their airing. When the prisoners resisted slightly, they were brutally taken in hand by the police and beaten. Prisoner Kaniewski’s nose was broken. They were all forcibly dragged to their cells. The feeling of the prisoners was aroused at this injustice and they declared a hunger and thirst strike.

Tortured.

When the wardens discovered the determination of the prisoners three of the hunger strikers, Kaniewski, Seidmann and Langmann, were dragged into a cell, strongly bound and each one was, given twelve strokes of a hide whip on their naked bodies. When the commander saw that the strokes were too “weak” he grabbed the whip and beat them himself. The cries of pain of the beaten prisoners and the calls of protest from the other prisoners filled the jail for hours. The three strikers were then taken into separate dark cells and put in chains. Following this the numerous other political prisoners decided to go on a hunger strike. They decided to begin the strike on June 6, since they were assured that the workers would take up the struggle for the rights of class war prisoners.

Defends Terrorists.

The report of this incident, with many serious omissions, was given to the English representative in Palestine, who telegraphed it to England, where it led to some discussion in the House of Commons. The labor member of parliament Kenworthy, asked the secretary of state for the colonies, Mr. Amery whether he knew of this incident and whether it were possible for the House to make a decision on it. The secretary defended the terrorists of the Jerusalem jail and added:

“Beating is a customary punishment for misdemeanors in prison and His Honor the English Minister has declared that this punishment was just.”

On the question whether it was a crime to be a member of the Communist Party in Palestine, Mr. Amery declared that he was not in the position to answer this question.

The Red Aid of Palestine has decided not to allow this crime against the political prisoners to go unanswered. All over the country protest meetings are being held and the workers demand special rights for political prisoners.

The Daily Worker began in 1924 and was published in New York City by the Communist Party US and its predecessor organizations. Among the most long-lasting and important left publications in US history, it had a circulation of 35,000 at its peak. The Daily Worker came from The Ohio Socialist, published by the Left Wing-dominated Socialist Party of Ohio in Cleveland from 1917 to November 1919, when it became became The Toiler, paper of the Communist Labor Party. In December 1921 the above-ground Workers Party of America merged the Toiler with the paper Workers Council to found The Worker, which became The Daily Worker beginning January 13, 1924.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/dailyworker/1928/1928-ny/v05-n168-NY-jul-17-1928-DW-Q.pdf