MK Barakeh
Gil Yohanan
Barakeh: Isolate Israel
Speaking in Ramallah, Israeli Arab Knesset Member calls on Palestinians to 'isolate Israel and its criminal policies,' says Israeli Arabs 'identifiy with, struggle for Palestinian prisoners'
Hadash Chairman Knesset Member Muhammad Barakeh called on the Hamas government not to play in the hands of Israel during a speech in Ramallah, in which he called on Palestinians to adopt a diplomatic line which would "isolate Israel's criminal policies and won't contribute to the Palestinian isolation."
Barakeh was invited to Ramallah to mark the Palestinian prisoner's day, an event in which senior Palestinians and parliament members, some of them Hamas members, took part in. He said that the government which will come to power in Israel will be in every way a Right-wing government, even if Labor takes part in it: "This will be a government which will go in the direction of unilateral steps, without connection to the Hamas victory."
Barakeh bitterly attacked the Israeli government and said that like every Israeli government during the elections, "the current Israeli government escalated its blood soaked violence to satisfy the Right. This government also took unjustified and cruel steps in Jericho and arrested Palestinian fighters like Ahmed Saadat (head of the PFLP and organizer of murder of tourism minister Rehavam Zeevi – A.W.)… all for elections reasons."
Barakeh blasts Israel
Barakeh attacked the "policies of pressure and criminal aggression operated by Israel against the Palestinian people. He said that "Israeli policies are designed to distract attention from the occupation and its consequences, especially from the issue of prisoners, who deal with violence and torture, just because they defend their land and people."
Barakeh went on to say that the issue of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails interests not only their families, but the whole of the Palestinian people. "The Palestinians in the country (Arabs in Israel – A.W.) emphasize in their activities the issue of prisoners and identify with it, especially through strikes and other struggles," he said.
Barakeh confirmed the statements during a conversation with Ynet, saying: "I called for a release of prisoners, especially administrative prisoners, regarding Palestinian prisoners, Israel ignores international law, we saw this during the pirate operation it did in Jericho. The Palestinian prisoners must return to their homes and be the milestones in the start of the diplomatic negotiations which will end with the establishment of an independent Palestinian state next to Israel."
When asked whether he also gave advice to the Hamas government, Barakeh answered: "I didn't give advice to the Palestinian government. I told them and in effect I advised them to change their words and abandon their rejectionism which does not fit our times and the world we live in. I told them to get rid of this approach and to formulate an approach that will strengthen the Palestinian stance and which will isolate Israel and its policies."
