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Despite committing no crime, "Amirah was charged with incitement and support for a hostile organization and disturbing a soldier."
During a nonviolent protest near Deir Kaddis village, he was arrested for sitting down in front of a tractor. At issue was stopping illegal settlement expansions on stolen Palestinian land.
Charges against him exclude violence. He's "an important example of the criminalization of all political activity by Palestinians in the West Bank...."
They face Kafkaesque justice. Military orders govern virtually every facet of their lives. Anything Israel wishes can be called hostile or terrorist related. Free speech is an endangered species.
Participating in public demonstrations is deemed disrupting public order. Pouring coffee for members of declared illegal organizations is called supporting terrorism.
Military regulations criminalize displaying Palestinian flags, banners, or symbols. So is criticizing state policy. Anyone charged is judged guilty by accusation. Conviction is virtually certain.
"Amirah's case exemplifies the extent to which ALL protest action -- including explicitly nonviolent actions are criminalized within the Israeli system in the West Bank.""Amirah was sitting on the ground in front of a tractor repeating the phrase 'I am not engaging in violence, I will not commit a violent deed' and was still arrested and charged."
His case also reflects the ambiguity of the term "legal demonstration." Israel considers all nonviolent ones illegal. Prison terms can follow participation.
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