Israel convicts Palestinian poet for ‘incitement to violence’

An Israeli court in the occupied Palestinian city of Nazareth yesterday convicted a Palestinian poet after finding her guilty of “incitement to violence” following posts she made on social media.

In October 2015, 36-year-old Dareen Tatour from the Nazareth village of Al-Reineh posted on Facebook and YouTube a video of herself reading out her poem titled “Resist, My People, Resist”, along with footage of masked Palestinian youths throwing stones and firebombs at Israeli security forces. She was detained days after the video was uploaded.

Tatour’s father, Tawfik, told Quds Press that a hearing was held at the Nazareth Magistrates’ Court, during which his daughter was convicted of “incitement to violence and supporting terror groups”.

“After spending three months in Israeli detention, my daughter has been released to house arrest,” Tawfik pointed out, adding that she had been banned from using mobile phones or the internet.

Read: Israel arrested 450 Palestinians, including women and children in April

He explained that she had spent two months under house arrest and after long negotiations between the Israeli authorities and her lawyer, the court agreed to allow her to leave the house for medical treatment with a companion for a limited number of hours.

Israel’s Haaretz reported yesterday that the Israeli court charged Tatour with publishing “various publications that call for violent acts or terrorism” on social media, and “for praising and identifying with acts of violence or terrorism”.

“The content, its exposure and the circumstances of its publication created a real possibility that acts of violence or terrorism will be committed,” the newspaper added, quoting the court’s indictment. A sentencing hearing will take place on 31 May.

Read: Israel tortures 3 Palestinians prior to their arrest

In response, the Palestinian activist said there was no call for violence in her poem, rather for a struggle. She continued:

I am ready for everything and do not regret anything I have done. I have done nothing wrong.

Israeli indictments for online incitement have tripled since 2014. Prosecutions by the Israeli military against young Palestinians have also increased in the occupied West Bank.