Israeli Arabs arrested for comments about Gaza on social media

Dozens of Arab citizens from Israel were arrested for their social media posts about the war in Gaza.

Among them is the well-known singer and influencer from Nazareth, Dalal Abu Amneh, who was detained in police custody for two days before being released on bail on Wednesday.

LOOK: 9 terms to understand the war between Israel and Hamas and the complex conflict in the Middle East

He is now under house arrest until Monday.

According to her lawyer, Abee Baker, the singer was accused of “disturbing behavior” by police officers, who say their posts could incite violence to your followers.

The message that caught the attention of the police was an image of the Palestinian flag with the Arab motto: “There is no winner but God”.

Baker notes that the singer, who is well known in the Arab world for her songs about her Palestinian heritage, expressed religious sentiments.

Israeli authorities interpreted the singer’s post as a call to arms for Palestinians.

“Zero tolerance”

Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, the police in Israel have adopted what they call “zero tolerance policy” regarding social media activity expressing support for Hamas, an Islamic group that advocates the destruction of Israel and has been designated a terrorist group by Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom and many other countries.

Abu Amneh is one of dozens of Arab citizens of Israel who have been arrested in connection with their online posts about the war.

Many others were suspended or dismissed from employment, or man Disciplinary measures at their universities.

Nazareth, in northern Israel, is an important Arab population center in the country. (GET IMAGES).

Arab-Israelis (many of whom prefer to be called Palestinian citizens of Israel) make up one-fifth of the country’s population.

Since the Hamas attack on October 7, police say they have investigated and detained more than 100 people for their activities on social media.

In Jerusalem alone, 63 were arrested and interrogated.

“Anyone who incites against the State of Israel, its governmental symbols, elected officials, military and police must know that the Israel Police will respond firmly and without leniency,” said Israel Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai in a meeting with senior leaders. week.

Adalah, the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, believes the number of detainees is higher, given that more arrests have been made recently.

By comparison, during the Israel-Gaza conflict in May 2021, just 16 people – 15 of whom were Arabs – were charged with inciting violence, according to a report published by Adalah.

Human rights activists fear that this increase in arrests is due to the police adopting a strategy broader interpretation of what constitutes incitement to violence.

In the Bedouin city of Rahat, for example, police detained a former mayoral candidate, Dr. Amer al-Huzail, who shared online a map of the Gaza Strip with an analysis of possible scenarios for a ground incursion by the Forces. Israelis.

This led to him being accused of aiding the enemy in times of war.

Students

But even when criminal charges are not filed, some people in Israel still face serious consequences for their online activities.

Lawyers working for Adalah say they have received more than 40 cases of Arab Israeli workers who were suspended or fired overnight.

“Sometimes people see their source of income threatened simply for liking a publication,” says Salam Irsheid, the organization’s lawyer.

“We even have the case of a worker who runs the risk of being fired because he liked news about the situation in Gaza on social media.”

One of the cases mentioned by the lawyers consisted of ‘liking’ a news story about the situation in Gaza. (Getty Images).

Arab students in Israel also face disciplinary measures at their universities.

Last week, Ariel Porat, president of Tel Aviv University, said a group of students had been singled out for expressing “support for Hamas atrocities.”

“Let’s be very strict with this handful of students,” he wrote in a statement on the university’s website, “and when we believe the crime is criminal in nature, we will report it to the police. “We will act quickly as necessary in this delicate situation, but we will not deny any student the right to a fair investigation.”

Adalah’s lawyers say they received complaints from 83 students who have been suspended from their schools across the country and, in some cases, forced to leave their accommodation at short notice.

“None of the cases have to do with actions, demonstrations or participation in illegal activities. They are all linked to social media posts,” says Dr. Hassan Jabareen, CEO of Adalah.

“More than 90% of posts are clearly against the war, against Israel’s actions in Gaza and support the victims of the war in Gaza,” he adds.

“10% of posts fall into a gray area that could be interpreted as indirect support for Hamas’ actions against civilians.”

“Under normal circumstances, they would not be interpreted this way, but now Israel tends to interpret these messages in the most severe way.”

Critical Jewish Voices

Public outrage at the Hamas attack, which killed more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians in areas close to the Gaza Strip, also generated anger against the voices of Israeli Jews calling for a decrease in violence.

Last Sunday, a prominent left-wing ultra-Orthodox Jewish journalist, Israel Fey, had to be escorted by police from his home in Tel Aviv for his own protection.

A group of protesters gathered in front of his building and fired rockets at his apartment after he posted a video online in which he prayed for civilians in Gaza.

And on Wednesday, Ofer Cassif, a Jewish lawmaker from the Arab-led Hadash-Taal alliance, was suspended from the Israeli Parliament for 45 days after he strongly condemned the bombing of Gaza.

In his most recent posts on the X network, formerly known as Twitter, he criticized the police who, he said, did not intervene quickly in Frey’s defense.

“Armed police forces are sent to arrest anyone who shows even a shred of empathy for the massacres in Gaza,” he wrote.

“But the police are not interested in protecting a left-wing journalist whose life is in danger.”

Source: Elcomercio