Meanwhile, Israeli police have arrested Palestinian rights activist Omar Barghouti over alleged tax evasion, seizing his passport and forbidding him from leaving the country. Barghouti is a leader of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions—or BDS—movement, an international campaign to pressure Israel to comply with international law and respect Palestinian rights. In a statement, the Palestinian BDS National Committee called the charges bogus, noting a Haaretz investigation that found Israel has set up a “dirty tricks” or “tarnishing” unit to target BDS supporters. The group said, “The fact that this investigation includes a travel ban and that it comes a few weeks before Omar Barghouti is scheduled to travel to the U.S. to receive the Gandhi Peace Award jointly with Ralph Nader in a ceremony at Yale University proves its true motive—repression.”
Israel Accused of “Dirty Tricks” in Arrest of Palestinian Activist
HeadlineMar 24, 2017