Protest continues against expulsion of Jerusalem parliamentarians

Jerusalem Member of Parliament Ahmed Atoun has denied that any official deals were done to secure his release from detention and the cancellation of his expulsion order. Speaking by telephone from a protest tent set up in solidarity with his colleagues who are under threat of expulsion, Mr. Atoun said that their demands are limited to the cancellation of the expulsion orders and the immediate release of fellow MP Mohamed Abu Tir. Mr. Abu Tir was arrested by the Israeli occupation forces on the pretext that permit to live in Jerusalem had expired. When Mr. Abu Tir comes to trial – if the case goes that far – Ahmed Atoun has said that his supporters will organise a “massive popular strike” and demonstration in front of the court to show the Israelis the depth of support for the detained man.

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The MPs under threat of expulsion have been protesting in the grounds of the International Red Cross Centre in Ramallah. Conditions have been so difficult that all have had to receive treatment from Red Cross medical staff.

Mr. Atoun said that he and his colleagues value all events that are being held in solidarity and noted that the protest tent receives many hundreds of visitors a day, including representatives of human rights organisations and media outlets.

In the same context, the MP mentioned the solidarity from across the world, referring to the visit of the Egyptian and Tunisian Ambassadors, as well as the visit of three members of Britain’s Upper Chamber, the House of Lords. While explaining that a delegation from the European parliament visited recently, Mr. Atoun bemoaned the lack of serious action by Arab parliamentarians who, he believes, could exert a lot of pressure on the Israelis.

Nevertheless, Mr. Atoun added that the denunciation and condemnation phase is over and serious practical steps, including legal action, must be implemented to prevent further human rights violations by the Israeli authorities. “The Israelis only understand the language of force, pressure and national interests,” he said, “and they can be deterred if there is real and effective pressure.”