Israeli authorities employ numerous strategies to curtail the freedoms and movement of Palestinian residents of Jerusalem. These measures include arbitrary arrests and the imposition of harsh sentences, including administrative detention. Since October 7, 2023, emergency laws even allow detention for likes or posts made on social media. One particularly severe form of restriction is house arrest of children, which has a profoundly detrimental impact on them. No Prison like Home: House Arrest in Occupied Jerusalem (2022) describes the effect of house arrest on Ali Qanibi, 14, who is unable to leave home for any reason (and thus cannot attend school or participate in after-school activities). Ali’s parents describe the negative effects of this policy on the entire family, and Ali’s lawyer warns that such unnatural confinement will have long-term effects on children.
This film was produced by MIFTAH—The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy. Established in Jerusalem in December 1998, MIFTAH seeks to promote the principles of democracy and good governance within various components of Palestinian society; it further seeks to engage local and international public opinion and official circles on the Palestinian cause.