European group may probe Israel decision to indict Arab MK
Mohammed Barakeh charged with allegedly attacking policeman during anti-separation fence rally.
By Jack Khoury and Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Menachem Mazuz Israel newsThe Inter-Parliamentary Union is considering sending representatives to oversee the legal proceedings against Hadash chairman Mohammed Barakeh, charged with assaulting a police officer during an anti-separation fence rally in the West Bank.
In November, then Attorney General Menachem Mazuz decided to indict Barakeh for allegedly attacking a policeman during a demonstration at the West Bank separation fence.
Barakeh allegedly assaulted a member of the Israel Prisons Service's elite Masada unit at a protest in the West Bank village of Bi'ilin in 2005.
The policeman was taking a detainee to a police car at the time of the alleged assault.
Mazuz was also considering including on the charge sheet the crimes of offending a public servant and issuing threats, offenses which Barakeh is alleged to have committed at two other demonstrations.
In one of the incidents, Barakeh allegedly attacked a police officer during a 2006 protest in Tel Aviv, while in another he is accused of assaulting a passerby during a demonstration in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square.
Haaretz had recently learned that Barakeh had appealed to the international body with the aid of the director of the Adalah Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights, Hassan Jabareen, bemoaning Israel's decision to indict him.
The IPU, based in Geneva, sets its goal at protecting the rights of parliament members, and represents dozens of European legislative bodies, including the Knesset.
In late February, the IPU called on Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin to address claims brought up by Barakeh's representatives, who said that the charges brought up by then AG Mazuz were baseless, attempted to disrupt legitimate political activities, and go against Barakeh's parliamentary immunity.
The IPU wrote in the response given to Barakeh's representatives, that the organization's general assembly would decide in a March 27 vote whether or not to send observers to his trial, a move that would force the Knesset to address Barakeh's appeal.
The organization, however, cannot intervene or force a resolution on either side, although its future recommendations could have a significant political and ethical effect with regards to the alleged discrimination of Arab MKs.
Meanwhile, the European Union, following Barakeh's appeal, stated that it will be sending a representative to Tel Aviv's magistrate court, where Barakeh's trial is planned to take place.
Barakeh told Haaretz that the charges against him were not factually based, saying that he intended to "refute the indictment in court."
"The ones that are being violent and abusing freedom of demonstration and of speech are the police and the security establishment," Barakeh added.
"Only last week, the Supreme Court had to intervene in order to ensure freedom of protest in Sheikh Jarrah," he continued, adding that his indictment "reeks of politics."
"It's not a personal trial but an attempt to terrorize and deter anyone wishing to exercise his democratic right to resist government policy," the Hadash chairman said
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You know here in Chicago, the statute of limitations is 3 years for felonies and 18 months for misdemeanors. I'd assume assaulting a law enforcement officer is a felony, however if the most recent incident allegedly occurred in 2006, it wouldn't fly. Of course in Israel, all bets are off when it comes to Palestinian Israelis. Settlers can beat the daylights out of native indegenious Palestinians in the occupied territories while the IDF closes a blind eye, yet when an Arab MK protests, he's charged. Racist state of Israel indeed.
Israeli prosecution of Israeli citizens for breaking Israeli laws in Israel is not the business of EU's motley collection of rump republics and grand duchies. If they want to meddle in other nations affairs, they can investigate the sickening election of Neo-Nazis to public office in several of their member states, as well as their disgraceful racist treatment of Gastarbeiten workers and their insulting cartoons of The Prophet Mohammed (Praises be unto Him!). Not to mention serious EU use of "disproportionate force" and "collective punishment" against Taliban students and workers and baby-milk factories. Oh yeah, and their endless vandalism of centuries-old Jewish cemeteries. We need a "Road Map" to put a stop to all this. What arrogance.
The Israeli courts are the most crooked in the world. They are a sham.
And no charges until now? Obviously this has always been considered such a high priority. Wonder what the truth really is?
I was there when it happened, covering the demonstration as a journalist and can say categorically that the police version of events is a total fabrication. The demonstrators were actually attacked without warning from the side by the Masada officers, who fired rubber bullets with some sort of agent that caused wounds to superate indiscriminately at unarmed protestors who were not threatening them in any way. There was some pushing and shoving later by both sides but certainly no "attack" as alleged.
lle after he had shouted "Vive le Quebec Libre!" ?
If Israel sent somebody to an EU state to investigate a similar incident they would be told to keep out of affairs that do not concern Israel. Now it seems the EU wants to not on deal with what Israel does to palestinians but what Israel does with regard to arabs in Israel itself. Even the arab states haven't treated this issue as any business of theirs so why is the EU?
and some days are worse than others...
You are of the misinformed opinion that Europeans are harassing Israel and that Israel is somehow singled out. You might not make that mistake if every statement a EU official made about some other country got the same amount of press-coverage. There is nothing spectacular about an organization sending an observer to a trial, it's hardly even news. And as for your isolationist notion that all countries should mind their own business: quite frankly it is BS. Other countries have a responsibility to speak up if they are of the opinion that there is something amiss in a country. History is full of examples of where a government commits hideous crimes against its own or another state's population. There is a moral obligation to prevent such instances. You should be happy that Israel, due to its privileged position, at most receives a slap on the wrist whenever it breaks international law. You don't think the world should mind its own business about Iranian nukes, do you?
Interesting how one can distort the truth. Lieberman NEVER said anything about exterminating Arabs. Also, assaulting anyone, let along a police officer, is a crime in any civilized country. Of course in Iran he would have been eliminated and never heard from again. But I guess that doesn't matter - doesn't involve the Jews.
Where are the witnesses? I don't trust Israeli justice. Some will say anything to get Arabs arrested. At least, he has a trial. The ones with no citizenship in the West Bank get no trials. I remember in Canada where a Palestinian student who was very docile and a former IDF soldier alleged he uttered a bomb threat and "witnesses" that weren't there backed him up. A judge threw out of court. This is typical for Israel. A half Jewish American friend was tossed in jail by an Israeli with police connections because he doesn't like his politics. Barakeh also has immunity. I can't see him attacking a bystander. Ridiculous charges.
The Europeans have every right to investigate the matter, as Israel is not by any means off limits to criticism or condemnation, despite the apologists' efforts to paint such actions as anti-Israel, or the oft used anti-Semite card.
their pig's nose where sun does not shine. I am so sick of very same countires that let millions of Jewish lives parish and many were willing participants in extermination process.. Now once again they are taking side of the enemy that eventually will cut their own throats... Mind your own damn business "european groups". I wonder how many real europeans in those groups...ha...ha...ha...
Let the IPU see Israel's justice system in action. Israel has nothing to hide and no reason to drop charges against Barakeh just because he's called in the IPU. This isn't a test of Israel's justice,it's a test of the IPU's impartiality. If it turns out that Barakeh has called them in for no good reason,the IPU may think twice next time. THREE CHEERS FOR ISRAEL!!!
Israel wants to silence all criticism of its actions regardless of their legitimacy. The hatred for Arab MKs who achieved election to the Kenneset despite institutionalism racism is quite apparent. A Jew can call for the extermination of Palestinians and gets promoted to Foreign Minister while an Arab MK is persistently targeted for removal on baseless accusations. Israel will bring its own house of cards down sooner rather than later.
Why are Europeans sticking their noses into everything Israeli? They are only out to cause mischief to the Jewish State. They should worry about their own justice, their own housing, their own terrorism, their own territory.
How is this "probing the decision to indict him"? The title implies that these bodies think they have the authority to rule over who Israel indicts. This is not the case here. That these international bodies want to send observers to the trial is a sign that they fear that the trial won't be fair or that there is something else wrong in the judicial system. If there are observers they will be observing, not probing.
Quid pro quo