Aida Touma-Suleiman, Member of Knesset for the Joint List and a member of the Political Bureau of the Israeli Communist Party, condemned the administrative detention order against Khalida Jarrar on April 5.

“This arrest is a stain on the conscience of the rulers of Israel, joining the crimes of occupation – firstly, confiscating the freedom of an entire people, including thousands of prisoners, with 16 members of Parliament detained in Israeli jails, led by the Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Aziz Dweik.” Touma-Suleiman urged parliamentarians around the world to struggle to release Jarrar and all the detained Palestinian MPs.

Earlier, the Joint List condemned the arrest of Jarrar, calling it a violation of international law and conventions. “The arrest of Jarrar is a repressive and arbitrary step, part of a framework of targeting activists against the occupation. The occupation authorities issued an order to expel Jarrar to Jericho, but she refused to obey, challenged them, and did not abide by the order, and this courageous stance angered the occupation authorities. But these authorities must understand that using arrest as revenge against a publicly elected official is an arbitrary step, contrary to international laws and norms. In any case, it will not stop Jarrar and her colleagues and comrades in the struggle, despite arrest, deportation and repression in all forms. The arrest of Jarrar, one of 16 detained members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, including Marwan Barghouti, PLC speaker Aziz Dweik, and Ahmad Sa’adat, General Secretary of the Popular Front, is a message to the parliaments of the world and the World Federation of Parliaments that these institutions must play a role in defending the rights of Palestinian MPs and protecting them from arbitrary or vindictive detention. This reveals once again the ugly face of the occupation, which must be exposed internationally, especially in light of the extreme right-wing government, which has declared publicly that it does not adhere to agreements and commitments, including respect for the Palestinian elections and their results.”

The statement also noted that the Joint List supports the right of the Palestinian Arab people to resist the occupation and struggle for their freedom, a just and democratic project based on international law. It also called for building the struggle to confront repression and restrictions on freedom of movement, arbitrary arrests, and human rights violations by occupation authorities. The list called for the immediate release of MP Khalida Jarrar and other detained MPs, who have exercised their right and duty to struggle against the occupation, and emphasized the importance of Palestinian unity in the struggle to free the prisoners of freedom.