Maasiyahu Prison

A minimum-security Israeli prison specifically designated for illegal immigrants and others awaiting deportation, it is located in the city of Ramle in the Center District of Israel.

On June 15th, 2002, inmates at the prison declared a hunger strike to protest what they viewed as improper medical and legal treatment.

On February 11th, 2004, public workers from the nearby town of Lod, who had not been paid in months, chained themselves to the gates of the prison in a public protest, demanding to be arrested so they could be fed the free prison food.

In March 2005, a wing of the prison was converted to house those detained while protesting Sharon's plan to withdraw from 21 settlements in Gaza and another 4 in the West Bank. The new wing is capable of housing 900 detainees; though there are currently only about 50 occupied, though the number is expected to rise as July's withdrawl approaches.

Notable persons held at the prison include:

• Jaggi Singh
• Patrick O'Connor
• Binyamin Zeev Kahane
• Aryeh Deri