The Israeli government meanwhile continues its crackdown on Palestinian activists who campaign for the equal treatment for Israel’s Arab citizens. On Thursday, Ameer Makhoul of the Popular Committee for the Defense of Political Freedom inside Israel was charged with espionage for allegedly providing intelligence to the Shiite group Hezbollah. Another Palestinian activist, Dr. Omar Said, has also been charged with spying for Hezbollah. The Israeli government’s case appears to rest almost entirely on Makhoul and Said’s testimony while in Israeli custody, where their families claim they were tortured and abused.