11 apr 2016
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The Israeli military advocate general has closed the investigation into the cold-blooded killing of a Palestinian teenager by a senior Israeli officer near Ramallah last year, according to a press release issued by the Israeli army.
An Israeli officer called Yisrael Shomer shot and killed Muhammad Hani al-Kasbah, 17, in the head and chest on July 3, 2015 after the teenager threw a stone at an Israeli military vehicle near Qalandiya checkpoint, south of Ramallah. The military advocate general concluded that the shooting of the officer was not criminal and the event did not justify taking legal action against him, the Israeli army stated on Sunday. |
"Shomer exited his vehicle and fired into the air and towards the lower extremities of the assailant. However, due to the reality of the operational situation, the shots resulted in the death of the assailant," the advocate general claimed.
Although the Israeli army initially claimed Shomer had acted in self-defense, a video released shortly after al-Kasbah’s death by B’Tselem showed that al-Kasbah was posing no threat to Israeli soldiers' lives at the scene. In the video recording, the victim was running away after throwing a stone at a military jeep when an officer fired three live bullets at him.
"The MAG's (Military Advocate General) assertion that the firing was legal, since the officer claimed that he aimed at the youth's legs but missed, clearly indicates the investigative system's willingness to ignore the law and the open-fire regulations, all in the interest of providing impunity to members of the security forces who unlawfully killed Palestinians," B’Tselem said in a statement on Sunday.
Although the Israeli army initially claimed Shomer had acted in self-defense, a video released shortly after al-Kasbah’s death by B’Tselem showed that al-Kasbah was posing no threat to Israeli soldiers' lives at the scene. In the video recording, the victim was running away after throwing a stone at a military jeep when an officer fired three live bullets at him.
"The MAG's (Military Advocate General) assertion that the firing was legal, since the officer claimed that he aimed at the youth's legs but missed, clearly indicates the investigative system's willingness to ignore the law and the open-fire regulations, all in the interest of providing impunity to members of the security forces who unlawfully killed Palestinians," B’Tselem said in a statement on Sunday.
9 apr 2016
The deadline appointed by an Israeli court on March 09 to evacuate two homes of Totah and Totanji families in al-Suwanneh neighborhood in Occupied Jerusalem for the construction of a national park expired on Saturday.
Talking to the PIC reporter, Aref al-Totanji refuted the Israeli authorities' claim that the land is owned by Israelis, affirming that he possesses documents that prove his ownership of the land of the home to be razed.
The house’s area is estimated at 80 square meters and shelters 16 individuals including children, he pointed out.
Totanji set up a sit-in tent in the yard of his house in order to resist the evacuation process, and said he would stay at the house in case of demolition.
He called on concerned institutions and authorities to support him along with Totah family in their issue which has been tabled with and deliberated at Israeli courts for the past three years.
Talking to the PIC reporter, Aref al-Totanji refuted the Israeli authorities' claim that the land is owned by Israelis, affirming that he possesses documents that prove his ownership of the land of the home to be razed.
The house’s area is estimated at 80 square meters and shelters 16 individuals including children, he pointed out.
Totanji set up a sit-in tent in the yard of his house in order to resist the evacuation process, and said he would stay at the house in case of demolition.
He called on concerned institutions and authorities to support him along with Totah family in their issue which has been tabled with and deliberated at Israeli courts for the past three years.
The family of a 17-year-old Palestinian shot dead by an Israeli border police officer outside of Ofer prison in 2014 is attempting to garner support in preparation for the first court hearing on their son’s death.
The family of Nadim Nuwara on Saturday told Ma’an they called for lawyers, journalists, and supporters to appear at the court session in effort to pressure the Israeli authorities to hold accountable the officer believed to be responsible for Nuwara’s death.
“We want to give the Israeli occupation a message that the case is still alive and that our people do not forget the blood of their martyrs,” the family said, requesting the attendance of those concerned about the case to stage a sit-in in front of the court house.
The hearing is expected to take place on Monday at the Israeli Central Court on occupied East Jerusalem’s Salah al-Din street.
Nadim Nuwara was shot and killed along with Muhammad Abu al-Thahir, 15, in 2014 during a rally marking the 66th anniversary of the Nakba outside of Ofer detention center near Ramallah.
Video footage of the incident sparked international criticism as no clashes appeared to be taking place at the moment the teenagers were gunned down.
Israeli security sources initially denied responsibility for the teens' deaths on the grounds that live fire wasn’t used during the demonstration, despite eyewitnesses and video evidence of the incident.
An autopsy of Nuwara's body later showed the youth had been hit by Israeli forces, and a border police officer was charged in connection to the fatal shootings months after they took place.
The indictment against the officer said he had switched rubber-coated bullets with regular bullets on an M-16 while he was present at the protest, and shot Nuwara in the chest after he allegedly threw a stone, according Haaretz.
The first hearing into Nuwara's death comes amid a high profile investigation into an Israeli soldier who was captured on camera shooting a Palestinian who already lay wounded on the ground in Hebron late last month.
A military tribunal ruled that the soldier would be tried on charges of manslaughter, and not, as had been widely expected, those of murder.
Palestinians and human rights workers charge Israeli forces with excessive and often fatal use of force on a regular basis, and incidents documented on video have in the past been disregarded by Israeli investigations as lone-wolf incidents.
The Israeli court system has gained international criticism for a longstanding policy of immunity for Israeli forces, while Palestinians hold widespread distrust for the system.
A joint investigation by Israeli rights group B’Tselem and Hamoked earlier this year reported that Israel’s court system routinely postpones or slows down investigations regarding violations against Palestinians with the intention of pushing families or individuals to eventually drop their case.
The family of Nadim Nuwara on Saturday told Ma’an they called for lawyers, journalists, and supporters to appear at the court session in effort to pressure the Israeli authorities to hold accountable the officer believed to be responsible for Nuwara’s death.
“We want to give the Israeli occupation a message that the case is still alive and that our people do not forget the blood of their martyrs,” the family said, requesting the attendance of those concerned about the case to stage a sit-in in front of the court house.
The hearing is expected to take place on Monday at the Israeli Central Court on occupied East Jerusalem’s Salah al-Din street.
Nadim Nuwara was shot and killed along with Muhammad Abu al-Thahir, 15, in 2014 during a rally marking the 66th anniversary of the Nakba outside of Ofer detention center near Ramallah.
Video footage of the incident sparked international criticism as no clashes appeared to be taking place at the moment the teenagers were gunned down.
Israeli security sources initially denied responsibility for the teens' deaths on the grounds that live fire wasn’t used during the demonstration, despite eyewitnesses and video evidence of the incident.
An autopsy of Nuwara's body later showed the youth had been hit by Israeli forces, and a border police officer was charged in connection to the fatal shootings months after they took place.
The indictment against the officer said he had switched rubber-coated bullets with regular bullets on an M-16 while he was present at the protest, and shot Nuwara in the chest after he allegedly threw a stone, according Haaretz.
The first hearing into Nuwara's death comes amid a high profile investigation into an Israeli soldier who was captured on camera shooting a Palestinian who already lay wounded on the ground in Hebron late last month.
A military tribunal ruled that the soldier would be tried on charges of manslaughter, and not, as had been widely expected, those of murder.
Palestinians and human rights workers charge Israeli forces with excessive and often fatal use of force on a regular basis, and incidents documented on video have in the past been disregarded by Israeli investigations as lone-wolf incidents.
The Israeli court system has gained international criticism for a longstanding policy of immunity for Israeli forces, while Palestinians hold widespread distrust for the system.
A joint investigation by Israeli rights group B’Tselem and Hamoked earlier this year reported that Israel’s court system routinely postpones or slows down investigations regarding violations against Palestinians with the intention of pushing families or individuals to eventually drop their case.
4 apr 2016
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Two Palestinian Human Rights activists believe that the results of the autopsy conducted on the body of Abdel Fattah al-Sharif can be used as evidence to condemn Israel and prevent the closure of cases against its soldiers, who carry out field executions of Palestinians civilians.
Sharif was executed by an Israeli soldier on March 24 while lying motionless on the ground after being earlier shot and wounded in the old town of al-Khalil for allegedly trying to stab another soldier. Al-Haq human rights institution director, Sha’wan Jabarin, asserted that |
the autopsy results confirm the truth, which is premeditated murder, as monitored by the cameras in the place.
Fatal shot
Rayan al-Ali, the Palestinian doctor who attended the autopsy on Sunday, in the Abu Kabir Institute in occupied Jerusalem, confirmed that the last bullet fired by the Israeli soldier at Sharif's head, after he was injured and was lying on the ground, is the cause of his death.
The Israeli soldier was arrested after the uproar caused by the video that documented the crime, but then was released and kept in custody within his battalion.
The Israeli prosecution reneged on charging the soldier of murder and charged him instead with involuntary manslaughter, according to the Hebrew media.
Dr. al-Ali pointed out that it was possible that Sharif would have been alive before being shot at his head; as most of the bullets that hit him before the soldier’s fatal shot wounded his feet and other non-vital parts of his body.
Shooting to kill
Jabarin believes that these data confirm that the Israeli soldiers shoot to kill. He pointed out that the judicial system in Israel manipulates the charge title to mitigate the offense of the killer; it is trying to alleviate the cause of death and not the process of murder, these words in the legal sense have their indications and consequences in the favor of the killer soldier.
He said: "We have to follow-up on the case, as Israel will try to manipulate the terminology and the type and size of conviction.
Hence we must complete the file in the case and to accuse the killer soldier with the true charge of the crime, which is murder, a war crime".
He added that the video that documented the crime was the only reason why the soldier was arrested and interrogated.
This confirms the importance of the media and the importance of eyewitnesses and technical report regarding the autopsy of the bodies, which we must not compromise with, and we must insist on the presence of a Palestinian doctor in the process, he elaborated.
Relying on the autopsy results
For his part, the head of the legal unit of the Palestinian Prisoners Society, lawyer Jawad Boulus, stressed the importance of relying on the autopsy results conducted on Sharif's body to condemn the Israeli soldier, who deliberately committed the murder crime.
He stressed the importance of following up these crimes through the legal process, especially at this time in which Israel suffers from unprecedented moral decline including the decline in values of human rights, and encouraging murder against Arabs, Palestinians and minorities in the Israeli society.
He called for confronting the field executions against our people by professional documentation to be used by human rights institutions, agencies, governmental and non-governmental organizations, so as to expose the Israeli occupation before the world public opinion, and convict Israel before the competent courts.
Fatal shot
Rayan al-Ali, the Palestinian doctor who attended the autopsy on Sunday, in the Abu Kabir Institute in occupied Jerusalem, confirmed that the last bullet fired by the Israeli soldier at Sharif's head, after he was injured and was lying on the ground, is the cause of his death.
The Israeli soldier was arrested after the uproar caused by the video that documented the crime, but then was released and kept in custody within his battalion.
The Israeli prosecution reneged on charging the soldier of murder and charged him instead with involuntary manslaughter, according to the Hebrew media.
Dr. al-Ali pointed out that it was possible that Sharif would have been alive before being shot at his head; as most of the bullets that hit him before the soldier’s fatal shot wounded his feet and other non-vital parts of his body.
Shooting to kill
Jabarin believes that these data confirm that the Israeli soldiers shoot to kill. He pointed out that the judicial system in Israel manipulates the charge title to mitigate the offense of the killer; it is trying to alleviate the cause of death and not the process of murder, these words in the legal sense have their indications and consequences in the favor of the killer soldier.
He said: "We have to follow-up on the case, as Israel will try to manipulate the terminology and the type and size of conviction.
Hence we must complete the file in the case and to accuse the killer soldier with the true charge of the crime, which is murder, a war crime".
He added that the video that documented the crime was the only reason why the soldier was arrested and interrogated.
This confirms the importance of the media and the importance of eyewitnesses and technical report regarding the autopsy of the bodies, which we must not compromise with, and we must insist on the presence of a Palestinian doctor in the process, he elaborated.
Relying on the autopsy results
For his part, the head of the legal unit of the Palestinian Prisoners Society, lawyer Jawad Boulus, stressed the importance of relying on the autopsy results conducted on Sharif's body to condemn the Israeli soldier, who deliberately committed the murder crime.
He stressed the importance of following up these crimes through the legal process, especially at this time in which Israel suffers from unprecedented moral decline including the decline in values of human rights, and encouraging murder against Arabs, Palestinians and minorities in the Israeli society.
He called for confronting the field executions against our people by professional documentation to be used by human rights institutions, agencies, governmental and non-governmental organizations, so as to expose the Israeli occupation before the world public opinion, and convict Israel before the competent courts.
3 apr 2016
The radical right-wing activist's family are planning to appeal the decision at the High Court of Justice; his wife refuses to have the ceremony in jail.
Administrative detainee Meir Ettinger will not be allowed to leave detention to attend the ritual circumcision of his first-born son, the Be'er Sheva District Court decided Sunday.
Administrative detainee Meir Ettinger will not be allowed to leave detention to attend the ritual circumcision of his first-born son, the Be'er Sheva District Court decided Sunday.
Ettinger's wife Moriya said she was not willing to hold the circumcision ceremony at the jail, adding they are planning on appealing the decision at the High Court of Justice.
"Meir hasn't seen the baby since he was born," Moriya Ettinger said. "It's very difficult."
The Ettinger family was looking into the possibility of holding the circumcision ceremony close to the Eshel Prison where Meir is imprisoned or in Be'er Sheva, in an effort to make the Israel Prison Service's security arrangement easier.
Another option being considered is holding the event at Kfar Chabad or in Jerusalem, where more family and friends could be invited.
Judge Israel Pablo Akselrad noted in his ruling that there is a risk to releasing Ettinger, the grandson of Rabbi Meir Kahane, for the ritual circumcision, and in the meeting with his family and friends.
Honenu attorney Sima Kochav, who represents Ettinger, said the family was willing to have his participation in the event done according to the conditions set by the IPS.
"We feel that those entrusted with approving the request were not acting with integrity," she said. "Ettinger is being persecuted by authorities and he's not even a criminal prisoner, but an administrative one. Dangerous criminal prisoners go on furlough while Meir Ettinger sits behind bars solely because of his ideological views and not because he poses a specific risk. There's no reason to prevent him from attending the circumcision ceremony."
Ettinger is on administrative detention following an investigation by the Shin Bet's Jewish Division, which claims that he was the main force behind the hilltop youth's "price tag" activities against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Ettinger's initial administrative detention order issued against him was for six months, following which it was extended two months ago by four additional months.
Ettinger allegedly heads a cell that planned to carry out a series of violent acts against Palestinians as part of what he called "the rebellion". According to his view, unrest must be fostered among the Palestinians in order to bring about the overthrow of the regime in Israel, thus creating anarchy. Israeli regime in Israel and anarchy. "Ideological foundations of Zionism are built for a country like all the nations and the kingdom of Israel ... much cheaper and faster to destroy it and rebuild than to renovate it."
"The meaning of bringing down the state is toppling the structure of the state and its ability to rule, and to build a new institution," wrote Ettinger in a document outlining his plan.
"To this end, we must work outside of the rules of the institution we want to bring down."
"Meir hasn't seen the baby since he was born," Moriya Ettinger said. "It's very difficult."
The Ettinger family was looking into the possibility of holding the circumcision ceremony close to the Eshel Prison where Meir is imprisoned or in Be'er Sheva, in an effort to make the Israel Prison Service's security arrangement easier.
Another option being considered is holding the event at Kfar Chabad or in Jerusalem, where more family and friends could be invited.
Judge Israel Pablo Akselrad noted in his ruling that there is a risk to releasing Ettinger, the grandson of Rabbi Meir Kahane, for the ritual circumcision, and in the meeting with his family and friends.
Honenu attorney Sima Kochav, who represents Ettinger, said the family was willing to have his participation in the event done according to the conditions set by the IPS.
"We feel that those entrusted with approving the request were not acting with integrity," she said. "Ettinger is being persecuted by authorities and he's not even a criminal prisoner, but an administrative one. Dangerous criminal prisoners go on furlough while Meir Ettinger sits behind bars solely because of his ideological views and not because he poses a specific risk. There's no reason to prevent him from attending the circumcision ceremony."
Ettinger is on administrative detention following an investigation by the Shin Bet's Jewish Division, which claims that he was the main force behind the hilltop youth's "price tag" activities against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Ettinger's initial administrative detention order issued against him was for six months, following which it was extended two months ago by four additional months.
Ettinger allegedly heads a cell that planned to carry out a series of violent acts against Palestinians as part of what he called "the rebellion". According to his view, unrest must be fostered among the Palestinians in order to bring about the overthrow of the regime in Israel, thus creating anarchy. Israeli regime in Israel and anarchy. "Ideological foundations of Zionism are built for a country like all the nations and the kingdom of Israel ... much cheaper and faster to destroy it and rebuild than to renovate it."
"The meaning of bringing down the state is toppling the structure of the state and its ability to rule, and to build a new institution," wrote Ettinger in a document outlining his plan.
"To this end, we must work outside of the rules of the institution we want to bring down."
31 mar 2016
The Israeli magistrate court of Jerusalem on Thursday indicted two Israelis who issued death threats against Palestinian member of the Israeli Knesset Ahmad Tibi.
The indictment list issued on Thursday said that the two threatened Tibi, a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship, via Facebook posts in 2012 that read "you better run before you are killed" and "your end is near."
The lawyer of one of the Israelis said his client would prove in court that her statement did not constitute a criminal offense and that she had the right to express her opinion.
Ahmad Mhanna, a lawyer and Tibi’s parliamentary assistant, said "the mentioned threats, in addition to dozens of threats by extremists Jews against MK Tibi whether by mail or social media, reflect hostility and hatred against Arabs and Tibi, who is defending his people everywhere."
"We take these threats seriously, but that does not scare Dr. Tibi and he does not change his principles," he added.
Israeli public opinion has veered sharply to the right in recent years, with Palestinian citizens of Israel and Israeli leftists increasingly finding themselves the targets of hostility.
MKs Hanin Zoabi, Basel Ghattas, and Jamal Zahalqa -- who, like Tibi, are members of the Arab Joint List -- were suspended from their duties in February after they visited the families of Palestinians who were killed after attacking Israelis.
On Monday, the Knesset passed the first reading of a bill that would allow MKs to expel lawmakers, in what has been roundly condemned as a political campaign launched against the parliament's Palestinian members.
The bill -- an amendment to an existing law -- could see an MK suspended for "negating" the existence of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, incitement to racism, or supporting an armed struggle against Israel, according to the Association for Civil Rights (ACRI) in Israel.
The indictment list issued on Thursday said that the two threatened Tibi, a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship, via Facebook posts in 2012 that read "you better run before you are killed" and "your end is near."
The lawyer of one of the Israelis said his client would prove in court that her statement did not constitute a criminal offense and that she had the right to express her opinion.
Ahmad Mhanna, a lawyer and Tibi’s parliamentary assistant, said "the mentioned threats, in addition to dozens of threats by extremists Jews against MK Tibi whether by mail or social media, reflect hostility and hatred against Arabs and Tibi, who is defending his people everywhere."
"We take these threats seriously, but that does not scare Dr. Tibi and he does not change his principles," he added.
Israeli public opinion has veered sharply to the right in recent years, with Palestinian citizens of Israel and Israeli leftists increasingly finding themselves the targets of hostility.
MKs Hanin Zoabi, Basel Ghattas, and Jamal Zahalqa -- who, like Tibi, are members of the Arab Joint List -- were suspended from their duties in February after they visited the families of Palestinians who were killed after attacking Israelis.
On Monday, the Knesset passed the first reading of a bill that would allow MKs to expel lawmakers, in what has been roundly condemned as a political campaign launched against the parliament's Palestinian members.
The bill -- an amendment to an existing law -- could see an MK suspended for "negating" the existence of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, incitement to racism, or supporting an armed struggle against Israel, according to the Association for Civil Rights (ACRI) in Israel.
30 mar 2016
The Israeli Knesset, on Tuesday, approved the first reading of a bill which would allow Israeli courts to hand down prison sentences to minors under the age of 14 -- legislation critics say is targeted at Palestinian children.
A recent amendment to the bill, which would apply to children convicted of murder, attempted murder, and homicide, reportedly declared that the prison terms would be postponed until the accused minors turn 18.
If passed into law after two more successful readings in the Knesset, the legislation would apply to residents of Israel and occupied East Jerusalem, whereas Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are tried in military courts.
According to prisoners’ rights group Addameer, at least 108 Palestinian minors under the age of 16 were being held by Israel as of February.
“Unfortunately, terrorism does not have an age, and today there are no punishments matching the cruel reality we face,” The Jerusalem Post quoted Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked as saying on Sunday.
“In order to create deterrence and change the situation around us, we must adopt the suggested new amendments to the law.”
Shaked first proposed the bill in November, after two Palestinian children ages 12 and 13 allegedly stabbed and injured an Israeli security guard on Jerusalem's light rail near the illegal Israeli settlement of Pisgat Zeev.
An increase in violence in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel has led to the death of more than 200 Palestinians and nearly 30 Israelis since October, with a wave of small-scale attacks and attempted attacks, the majority carried out by Palestinian individuals on Israeli military targets.
Knesset member Yousef Jabareen of the Joint Arab List has criticized the bill as an affront to international law.
“Israel is a party to the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, and this change contradicts Israel’s obligation to this convention,” the politician, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, told Ma’an News Agency.
The convention states that “the arrest, detention or imprisonment of a child shall be in conformity with the law and shall be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time.”
According to Jabareen, Shaked’s statements regarding the bill leave little doubt as to who will be the main targets of such legislation.
“This bill targets Palestinian children,” he said. “Of course the bill is written in objective terms, but everyone knows the context in which it is being presented, and I doubt it will be used in other contexts.”
“This is an integrant part of a wave of bills introduced in the past few months which are harshening punishments for Palestinian children and families, especially in East Jerusalem,” Jabareen added. The MK notably mentioned a law passed by the Knesset in July which made penalties for stone-throwing more severe, allowing for stone-throwers to receive a 20-year prison sentence where intent to harm could be proven, and 10 years where it could not.
Jabareen said he believed the bill would likely pass into law.
“Unfortunately, in the current atmosphere, there is a good chance the bill will pass,” he said. “Even some opposition MKs support the bill.”
However, he expressed doubts that the legislation would effectively act as a deterrent.
“The (Israeli) government is attempting to oppress and suppress the Palestinian resistance, but everybody knows that without a serious proposal for advancing the political process, they are doomed to fail.”
A recent amendment to the bill, which would apply to children convicted of murder, attempted murder, and homicide, reportedly declared that the prison terms would be postponed until the accused minors turn 18.
If passed into law after two more successful readings in the Knesset, the legislation would apply to residents of Israel and occupied East Jerusalem, whereas Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are tried in military courts.
According to prisoners’ rights group Addameer, at least 108 Palestinian minors under the age of 16 were being held by Israel as of February.
“Unfortunately, terrorism does not have an age, and today there are no punishments matching the cruel reality we face,” The Jerusalem Post quoted Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked as saying on Sunday.
“In order to create deterrence and change the situation around us, we must adopt the suggested new amendments to the law.”
Shaked first proposed the bill in November, after two Palestinian children ages 12 and 13 allegedly stabbed and injured an Israeli security guard on Jerusalem's light rail near the illegal Israeli settlement of Pisgat Zeev.
An increase in violence in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel has led to the death of more than 200 Palestinians and nearly 30 Israelis since October, with a wave of small-scale attacks and attempted attacks, the majority carried out by Palestinian individuals on Israeli military targets.
Knesset member Yousef Jabareen of the Joint Arab List has criticized the bill as an affront to international law.
“Israel is a party to the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, and this change contradicts Israel’s obligation to this convention,” the politician, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, told Ma’an News Agency.
The convention states that “the arrest, detention or imprisonment of a child shall be in conformity with the law and shall be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time.”
According to Jabareen, Shaked’s statements regarding the bill leave little doubt as to who will be the main targets of such legislation.
“This bill targets Palestinian children,” he said. “Of course the bill is written in objective terms, but everyone knows the context in which it is being presented, and I doubt it will be used in other contexts.”
“This is an integrant part of a wave of bills introduced in the past few months which are harshening punishments for Palestinian children and families, especially in East Jerusalem,” Jabareen added. The MK notably mentioned a law passed by the Knesset in July which made penalties for stone-throwing more severe, allowing for stone-throwers to receive a 20-year prison sentence where intent to harm could be proven, and 10 years where it could not.
Jabareen said he believed the bill would likely pass into law.
“Unfortunately, in the current atmosphere, there is a good chance the bill will pass,” he said. “Even some opposition MKs support the bill.”
However, he expressed doubts that the legislation would effectively act as a deterrent.
“The (Israeli) government is attempting to oppress and suppress the Palestinian resistance, but everybody knows that without a serious proposal for advancing the political process, they are doomed to fail.”
The Israeli Knesset approved the suspension of lawmakers accused of backing "terrorism", a bill which seems to target Arab MPs, while PM Netanyahu has ordered Palestinian bodies held by the military not to be returned.
Fifty-nine lawmakers voted for the bill, widely seen to be targeting the Arab-led bloc after three of its members met the families of accused Palestinian attackers.
The bloc accounts for 13 of Knesset's 120 members, making it the chamber's third-largest grouping. The bill would give parliament the power to strip any lawmaker of the right to vote on draft legislation. It needs to pass a second and third reading in the Knesset before becoming a law.
Zouheir Bahloul, an Arab legislator, accused Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition of “quietly stealing Arab members’ right to a democratic discourse.”
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel also warned the law "is being promoted to harm the Arab MKs (Knesset members), whose statements and actions do not find favor with the political majority.” The Israeli chamber already has the power to censure the lawmakers for what it deems “unseeingly behavior.”
The idea for the bill, according to Press TV/Al Ray, was originally suggested by Netanyahu after Arab lawmakers from the Balad Party met with the families of the Palestinians killed by Israeli forces.
In February, the three were suspended from speaking in the Israeli parliament, as punishment, after they voiced support for the families of the Palestinian victims killed by Israeli military forces.
‘Stop returning Palestinian bodies’
On Monday, Netanyahu ordered a halt to returning the bodies of the Palestinians killed by Israeli forces as the regime fears subsequent mass funerals could trigger more protests.
Netanyahu ordered Moshe Ya’alon, Israeli minister for military affairs, not to hand over Palestinian bodies to their families until a comprehensive policy decision is reached on the matter, local media reported.
The Israeli military is currently holding an unspecified number of bodies belonging to the Palestinians shot dead for allegedly trying to stab regime forces.
Ya’alon’s ministry had resumed returning the corpses to their families on the condition that they were buried overnight and in a low-key funeral.
However, several Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, have voiced support for withholding the bodies to avoid mass funerals that could turn into large anti-occupation demonstrations.
Israel’s refusal to return the dead has drawn an angry reaction from several Palestinian officials and human rights organizations.
Earlier this month, Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Secretary General Saeb Erekat called on the international community to pressure Israel into releasing the bodies.
Tel Aviv’s “collective punishments are now being carried out against the living and the dead,” Erekat said. Palestinian rights groups Addameer and Adalah condemned Israel’s refusal to return the Palestinian bodies as “a severe violation of international humanitarian law.”
So far, more than 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the outbreak of fresh tensions in the occupied territories last October.
Fifty-nine lawmakers voted for the bill, widely seen to be targeting the Arab-led bloc after three of its members met the families of accused Palestinian attackers.
The bloc accounts for 13 of Knesset's 120 members, making it the chamber's third-largest grouping. The bill would give parliament the power to strip any lawmaker of the right to vote on draft legislation. It needs to pass a second and third reading in the Knesset before becoming a law.
Zouheir Bahloul, an Arab legislator, accused Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition of “quietly stealing Arab members’ right to a democratic discourse.”
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel also warned the law "is being promoted to harm the Arab MKs (Knesset members), whose statements and actions do not find favor with the political majority.” The Israeli chamber already has the power to censure the lawmakers for what it deems “unseeingly behavior.”
The idea for the bill, according to Press TV/Al Ray, was originally suggested by Netanyahu after Arab lawmakers from the Balad Party met with the families of the Palestinians killed by Israeli forces.
In February, the three were suspended from speaking in the Israeli parliament, as punishment, after they voiced support for the families of the Palestinian victims killed by Israeli military forces.
‘Stop returning Palestinian bodies’
On Monday, Netanyahu ordered a halt to returning the bodies of the Palestinians killed by Israeli forces as the regime fears subsequent mass funerals could trigger more protests.
Netanyahu ordered Moshe Ya’alon, Israeli minister for military affairs, not to hand over Palestinian bodies to their families until a comprehensive policy decision is reached on the matter, local media reported.
The Israeli military is currently holding an unspecified number of bodies belonging to the Palestinians shot dead for allegedly trying to stab regime forces.
Ya’alon’s ministry had resumed returning the corpses to their families on the condition that they were buried overnight and in a low-key funeral.
However, several Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, have voiced support for withholding the bodies to avoid mass funerals that could turn into large anti-occupation demonstrations.
Israel’s refusal to return the dead has drawn an angry reaction from several Palestinian officials and human rights organizations.
Earlier this month, Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Secretary General Saeb Erekat called on the international community to pressure Israel into releasing the bodies.
Tel Aviv’s “collective punishments are now being carried out against the living and the dead,” Erekat said. Palestinian rights groups Addameer and Adalah condemned Israel’s refusal to return the Palestinian bodies as “a severe violation of international humanitarian law.”
So far, more than 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the outbreak of fresh tensions in the occupied territories last October.
