RAMALLAH: An Israeli military court has charged top Palestinian peace activist Abdullah Abu Rahmeh for possession of tear-gas grenades and spent ammunition with the intention of displaying them in public, a family source said on Thursday.
His brother Ratib told Arab News that the coordinator of the Bil’in Popular Committee Against the Wall was also charged on Wednesday with incitement and hurling stones at security forces.
Abdullah was arrested from his home in the West Bank city of Ramallah on International Human Rights Day two weeks ago. The Israeli Army said at the time that the arrest was due to his involvement in weekly demonstrations in protest of the separation wall Israel had built at his West Bank village of Bil’in.
Abdullah also allegedly prepared bottles and balloons stuffed with rooster feces to be hurled at Israeli security forces.
Ratib claimed the indictment was part of the Israeli military’s continued attempts to break the spirit of the people of Bil’in, their leadership, and their opposition to the wall.
He believed one of the many young Palestinians arrested by the Israeli army in recent months was responsible for feeding officers misinformation, which led to the allegation about the ammunition, apparently used bullets from an M16 rifle. He added these arrests were made in an effort to obtain incriminating evidence against the organizers of peaceful protests.
Jonathan Polack, an Israeli activist opposing the separation wall and a close friend of Abdullah was shocked to learn of the arrest.
“What do they arrest a man for? An empty grenade? There’s nothing in there, it’s a piece of rubber. Those grenades were collected from the ground after the army fired them on protesters in Bil’in and were meant for a display at the village showing the extent of violence employed by the Israeli forces against protestors.” He added that the M16 bullets were not part of the exhibit, nor were they found when Abu Rahmeh’s home was searched.
“This is an anti-democratic step and we shall fight until he is released and until the right to protest against the occupation is recognized,” said Abu Rahmeh’s Israeli attorney Keren Lasky.
South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who met with Abu Rahmeh last summer during a visit to Palestinian territories, condemned his arrest and indictment and urged the Israeli authorities to release him immediately.
