Israeli prisons have become virtual universities of Palestinian nationalism and a hotbed for terrorist plots. Granted extraordinary access to the highest security institutions, award-winning filmmaker Shimon Dotan explores the lives of Palestinian inmates. What emerges is a glimpse of prisoners as informed thinkers, forging political alliances and making decisions that impact far beyond the prison’s walls. A remarkable achievement.

Nearly 10,000 Palestinians are incarcerated in Israeli prisons. “Every home either has someone in prison, had someone before or will have someone in future”, states Israeli prison spokesman, Col Ofer Lefler. Most Israelis regard these security prisoners as murderers. But to the Palestinians, they are freedom fighters and heroes. “The Israeli security service does such a good job that the whole military, political and social leadership is here”, states one prisoner. Nothing is done without consulting this leadership in prison.

“When you’re in prison, you focus only on politics, only on the news”, states one prisoner. “You become an expert on what’s going on between the two nations”. A surprising number of prisoners study for masters or PhD’s in subjects like international relations. They devour rival theories of government, learn foreign languages and hotly debate issues like whether suicide bombings should only be targeted at the settlements.

Prisoners have also developed numerous ways of smuggling commands to the outside world. “They try to send out these orders in any way they can”, states a guard. But surprisingly, relations between guards and prisoners are remarkably friendly. “The Israelis found it was in their interest to keep a responsible leadership within the prison to maintain order”, explains Fatah leader, Samir Masharawi. Every week, Col Meir Simchon meets with prisoner representatives from Hamas and Fatah. “We discuss things and they convey our message to the inmates or convey the inmates message to the prison administration”.

Being in prison is not even a bar to standing for election. In the last Palestinian elections, Hamas fielded 13 incarcerated candidates. They phoned in political speeches via smuggled mobile phones, passed on messages through their families and directed sophisticated campaigns from the confines of their cell. Ironically, serving time in an Israeli prison gave candidates political clout. “Prison gave me a certificate – the respect I get from my people. I am proud to say I was in prison for eight and a half years”, boasts Samir Masharawi

Paradoxically, the role Israeli prisons play in shaping inmates’ ideology and strengthening their political convictions also gives grounds for hope. In prison inmates gain an education and level of political awareness that would be unimaginable on the streets of Gaza. It is from these prisons that the next generation of Palestinian leaders will probably spring. (A Shimon Dotan film produced by Arik Bernstein, Yonatan Aroch, Dikla Barkai and Shimon Dotan)