Israel extends detention of Palestinian journalist Abed Abou Shhadeh

An Israeli court has extended the detention of Palestinian journalist and political activist Abed Abou Shhadeh, who was arrested after Israeli security forces raided his home in Jaffa overnight on Tuesday. The Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court ruled that he will remain in custody until Sunday, November 8, following a request for an eight-day extension by police on suspicion of "contact with a foreign agent."

Abou Shhadeh, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, hosts the al-Midan podcast for the Arab48 website and appeared as an analyst on Al Jazeera during coverage of the recent Israeli election. He was detained after Israeli security forces conducted a raid on his home in Jaffa overnight on Tuesday, confiscating electronic devices and books in front of his two children. The raid was part of a broader campaign targeting Palestinian political figures following the recent election.

The arrest stems from an interview Abou Shhadeh conducted with Palestinian intellectual Azmi Bishara in Qatar. According to his lawyers, the interview covered the Israeli election campaign and Palestinians, and was part of his work as a journalist. The legal rights group Adalah, which is part of his defense team, has called the arrest a bid to silence Palestinians and a campaign to show that Arab voters in Israel are "not kosher" and cannot form a coalition government.

Adalah founder Hassan Jabareen stated that there is no evidence Abou Shhadeh received money from foreign agents. "There is no evidence that [Abou Shhadeh] received money from anyone. They searched his house and found nothing." The rights group has appealed the detention extension and dismissed the charges as fabricated.

The arrest is linked to the recent Israeli election, with Netanyahu's bloc and the opposition led by Gadi Eisenkot now needing to form a coalition. Jabareen said the motive is to demonstrate that Arab voters and political parties are illegal, preventing them from participating in coalition negotiations. The Shin Bet head and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been cited as wanting to portray Arab voters as unacceptable to the Israeli political system.

Dozens of Palestinian and Jewish activists protested outside the court on Wednesday to demand his release. The case has drawn attention from human rights advocates who describe it as part of a campaign of intimidation against Palestinian citizens of Israel following the election.

Source: Al Jazeera