Palestinian activist from Hebron meets Bernie Sanders

A prominent Palestinian rights activist has met with former Democrat leadership candidate Senator Bernie Sanders and “a number of members of Congress”, in meetings in Washington DC.

Issa Amro, who is from Hebron in the occupied West Bank, is facing a military trial at the hands of Israeli authorities, and was also recently detained by the Palestinian Authority.

Amro met Sanders in the latter’s office on Capitol Hill, along with other US politicians who, like Sanders, had signed a letter earlier this year to the State Department, protesting what they called Israel’s political persecution of the activist.

Sanders and Amro discussed “the situation in Hebron – how the Israeli government is expanding the settlements and the segregation policy, and killing any possibility for a future Palestinian state”, according to the Palestinian activist.

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“I told all the members of Congress I met that the American Congress should act against settlement expansion”, he added.

Earlier this month, Amro was arrested by Palestinian Authority forces following his criticism of political repression by Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank. During his visit to Washington DC, Amro met with the Palestinian representative there, Husam Zomlot, who is considered close to Abbas.