Internal security minister cancels Arab party's convention
Convention, to be held in Wadi Ara, canceled due to suspicions of PA involvement. Party Chairman MK el-Sana: We will hold convention despite minister's order
Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch (Yisrael Beiteinu) presented the Arab Democratic Party with a court order Thursday, forbidding it from holding a political convention Friday near the village of Wadi Ara.
The order stated that Aharonovitch had been informed the convention is sponsored by the Palestinian Authority, and therefore will be canceled, in accordance with a law that forbids the activities of the Palestinian Authority in the State of Israel. Sources in the party responded defiantly by saying that the convention would take place nonetheless.
The minister's office told Ynet, "According to information we received, the PA may be involved in some parts of the convention. This is illegal, which is why the minister allowed the enforcement agencies to prevent it from taking place."
Members of the Democratic Arab Party's central committee were due to gather Friday afternoon in Wadi Ara. According to senior party figures, similar conventions are held from time to time around the country, as required. The convention's agenda includes political, party and organizational issues concerning the faction.
This time talks on setting up a party scholarship fund were also on the agenda. One of the fund's contributing bodies is said to be the PA.
Party chairman MK Taleb el-Sana said, "This time we decided to hold the convention in Wadi Ara both because of ongoing house demolitions in the area and because of the harassment of Arab leaders and the detention of Sheikh Raed Salah. We set up the scholarship fund for students, and I don't recall that the PA is an enemy body from whom it is forbidden to receive contributions."
The party secretary-general was surprised to receive a call from the intelligence coordinator of the Iron police station. "He wanted to pass on an order according to the law on the interim agreement regarding the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which aims to limit PA activity within Jerusalem," El-Sana said. "But the minister decided independently to apply the law to the whole state."
El-Sana replied to Aharonovitch, "It is a shame that it was not considered necessary to clarify with me or with the secretary-general before the decision was made. You based the decision on rumors and did not attempt to verify the facts before issuing the order."
El-Sana noted that the party is registered with the political party registrar, "And I, as chairman and representative of the party in the Knesset, fulfill my public and parliamentary mission according to the mandate I received from the voters. Issuing such an order without a hearing undermines basic principles. The convention will take place as determined, unless the minister issues a new order that forbids a democratic party to hold a convention. To the best of my understanding and knowledge, no convention of the PA is due to be held in Wadi Ara on Friday."
El-Sana insisted that the convention would take place with the participation of dozens of activists. "The order is an example of political persecution against Arab leaders," he said. He added that the military administration (that was in place for Arab citizens until 1966) "no longer exists, and we will not allow that dark period to return. The order is a dangerous precedent and turns the state into a police state. The convention will be held despite all the racists."
Efrat Weiss also contributed to this report
