PSI, AFT and EI call for the release of Palestinian activist Fatima Al-Rimawi

Fatima Al-Rimawi, a Jericho leader of the Palestinian General Union of Workers in Kindergarten and Private Schools (GUWKPS), was arrested by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) at her home in January 2024. Since then, she has been detained without trial in the notorious Damon military prison for women near Haifa, denied access to necessary medical care and visits from her family or lawyer.

She faces charges of "incitement to terrorism" - a broadly defined accusation often employed in such cases - after posting critical comments on Facebook regarding Israel's retaliatory attacks in Gaza.

PSI joins its affiliate American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and its sister global union Education International (EI) in campaigning for Fatima's immediate and unconditional release, calling for all charges to be dropped.

Fatima is not only a union leader but also a dedicated early childhood educator with over 30 years of experience. Throughout her career, she has played a crucial role in nurturing and educating young children in the West Bank, balancing her professional responsibilities with her roles as a wife and mother.

Her longstanding commitment to education and her community is reflected in her leadership within the General Union of Workers in Kindergarten and Private Schools. The impact of her arrest and detention has resonated deeply within her family, her students, and her community, underscoring the profound personal and societal consequences of her imprisonment.

Damon prison - "Welcome to Hell"

Fatima is incarcerated in the notorious Damon women's prison, a facility long criticized by human rights groups for its cramped, overcrowded conditions, poor ventilation, physical abuse, and inadequate food and water.

Survivors have reported the prison's unrelenting isolation, humiliations, and insults, fostering psychological and emotional torture. Ghassan Rimawi, Fatima's husband, has reached out to the international community, seeking support not only for Fatima but also for the many other women - mothers, teachers, and housewives -inside the Damon prison who are suffering similarly.

These reports document violations of international human rights law under the third Geneva Convention.

Israel's B'Tselem, an independent, non-partisan, and award-winning human rights organization, has chronicled - as reported by the BBC - the horrific conditions of Palestinian detainees in a recently released report titled "Welcome to Hell." This report documents a system where every inmate is deliberately subjected to "harsh, relentless pain."

Israel's hardline security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, who oversees the prison system, bears heavy responsibility for the reported abuses. Yet he continues to take pride in the fact that under his watch, conditions for Palestinian detainees have sharply deteriorated. This deterioration has reached such an extent that B'Tselem has declared the facilities—both military and civilian—to be "a network of suffering, operating as de facto torture camps."

To learn more about Fatima's case and what you can do to help, please visit https://www.freefatimaalrimawi.com/.

The goal of our campaign is to put international pressure on Israel, specifically Israel's Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, to release Fatima Al-Rimawi immediately. Gallant oversees the IDF and various other Israeli security forces. He is also in charge of all military prisons and prisoners, including the Damon prison where Fatima is being held.

Email Action 

Email your local foreign ministers and ambassadors to Israel, typically these emails can be found on the department's website.

In addition, you can email the Israeli Ministry of Defense, written below.

Address your concerns directly and highlight the injustice of Fatima's case. Demand her immediate release.​

Ministry of Defense's Head Deputy of the International Defense Cooperation Directorate (SIBAT): [email protected] 

Twitter handle: @yoavgallant (Minister Yoav Gallant)