The Israeli Knesset on Tuesday evening ruled for banning Arab lawmakers’ visits to Palestinians in Israeli jails.
The ban was slapped by the Knesset House Committee following allegations that MK Bassel Ghattas (Arab Joint List) smuggled cell phones to security prisoners.
The House Committee adopted Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan’s recommendation which was based on Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) chief Nadav Argaman’s proposal and decided that visits to Palestinian prisoners no longer fall under MKs’ parliamentary immunity.
Exceptions can be made for a few committee chairpeople from the coalition and opposition who can visit security prisoners to allow parliamentary oversight of the conditions of their incarceration.
The ban will mostly impact Arab Joint List MKs many of whom regularly visit anti-occupation activists in Israeli lock-ups.
Other lawmakers are affected by the ban including MK Amir Peretz (Zionist Union) who sporadically visits Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti.
Erdan alleged that MK visits to Palestinian detainees “strengthen their status which they use to harm national security.”
“The allegations against MK Ghattas show the potential of harm to our security that these visits allow” Erdan further claimed.
House Committee chairman Yoav Kisch (Likud) called the prison visits “outrageous” and said “the party is over.”
In a retort to Erdan’s claims MK Ghattas said visiting Palestinian detainees and keeping tabs on their condition is “both a right and a duty and we shall never ever give it up.”
Ghattas was brought before police on Monday for interrogation over allegations of smuggling cell phones to Palestinians in Israeli jails.
According to official data nearly 7000 Palestinians are incarcerated in Israeli occupation jails.
