Roseanne Barr and former Obama official join criticism of Israel as Khader Adnan on day 65 of hunger strike

Feb. 20, 2012 Electronic Intifada

Demonstrators spray graffiti with the image of Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan, hunger striking for more than two months, during a protest to mark 7 years for the struggle against the wall in the West Bank village of Bilin, February 17, 2012.

(Oren Ziv / ActiveStills)

American actress and comedian Roseanne Barr and former Obama administration State Department official Anne-Marie Slaugher are among the growing number of people to join criticism of Israel’s use of administrative detentions of Palestinians highlighted by the 65 day hunger strike of Khader Adnan.

Meanwhile, social media campaigns have helped bring more attention to Adnan’s fight, even though time for him may be running out.

Adnan is gravely ill, and his lawyers fear he may not live until 23 February, when the Israeli high court has agreed to hear a petition against his detention without charge or trial. Adnan was seized from his West Bank home by Israeli occupation forces on 17 December. Israel says Adnan is a member of the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad, but has not charged him with any crime.

On Sunday, Twitter users trended the hashtag #KhaderExists to the number one spot worldwide to bring attention to Adnan’s hunger strike.

Slaughter, a professor at Princeton University, who served as Director of Policy Planning for the United States Department of State from 2009-2011 tweeted, “#KhaderExists and should be charged or released” and provided a link to a 12 February Guardian article on his case.