Israel increases pressure on Arab citizens: Detentions, dismissals, and university suspensions

Dozens of Arabs living in Israel have been detained due to social media posts regarding the attacks on Gaza.

Dalal Abu Amneh, a well-known singer and social media personality, was detained in the Israeli city of Nazareth and held in a detention center for two days before being released on bail on Wednesday.

RELIGIOUS POST CITED AS JUSTIFICATION

According to BBC Turkish, Dalal Abu Amneh will remain under house arrest until Monday. Her lawyer, Abeer Baker, stated that Dalal Abu Amneh is accused of "conduct leading to unrest" and the potential to incite violence among her followers. The post that drew police attention was one featuring a Palestinian flag and the Arabic phrase "There is no victor but God."

According to lawyer Baker, police interpreted a religious post by Dalal Abu Amneh, who is known for her songs about Palestinian history, as a call for Palestinians to take up arms.

According to BBC Jerusalem correspondent Sara Monetta, police have been implementing a zero-tolerance policy since the conflict between Hamas and Israel began on October 7 regarding posts deemed to be showing sympathy for Hamas on social media.

Singer Dalal Abu Amneh is just one of dozens of Arabs detained by Israel over social media posts. Many people have been fired from their jobs, and those working or studying at universities have been referred to disciplinary boards.

Palestinian citizens of Israel make up one-fifth of the population. According to police statements, 100 people have been detained due to social media posts since the Hamas attack.

According to Adalah, the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, this number is much higher. Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai stated that "there will be a harsh response to anyone who engages in any provocative action against the State of Israel, government symbols, elected officials, the army, or the police."

The human rights organization Adalah had reported that 16 people, 15 of whom were Arab, were detained during the clashes between Hamas and Israel in May 2021.

According to human rights defenders, the reason for the higher number of police detentions in the recent conflict is that the police are evaluating behaviors that could lead to violence within a much broader spectrum.

In the Bedouin city of Rahat, police detained Dr. Amer al-Huzail, a former mayoral candidate, for sharing a map of Gaza and an analysis of a potential ground operation. Dr. Amer al-Huzail was charged with "aiding the enemy during wartime."

40 PEOPLE FIRED FROM THEIR JOBS

According to Adalah lawyers, 40 Israeli Arabs were fired from their workplaces overnight due to social media posts. Salam Irsheid, one of the organization's lawyers, said that people are facing the threat of losing their jobs just for liking a single post.

Arab students are also dealing with disciplinary penalties imposed by their universities. Tel Aviv University President Ariel Porat announced last week that several students had been flagged for "supporting Hamas's actions" and stated that they would be very strict regarding this matter. He noted that these students would be reported to the police.

According to lawyers at Adalah, 83 students have been suspended, and some were warned to leave their dormitories overnight. Dr. Hassan Jabareen, the general director of Adalah, said that none of these students had engaged in any illegal activity and were being punished solely for social media posts.

He added that 90 percent of these posts were statements against the war and messages of support for those in Gaza.

Jabareen said, "10 percent of the posts fall into a gray area that might appear to support Hamas's actions against civilians. In normal times, these posts would not be interpreted this way, but now Israel is applying the strictest assessment to these posts."

45-DAY SUSPENSION FOR A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

At the same time, Jewish Israelis are also making posts against the war and calling for de-escalation. Last week, leftist ultra-Orthodox Jewish journalist Israel Frey was removed from his home by Tel Aviv police for his own safety. Protesters had gathered around his house and demonstrated in anger due to a post in which he expressed that he was praying for those in Gaza.

On Wednesday, Jewish member of parliament Ofer Cassif was suspended from parliament for 45 days for condemning the airstrikes in Gaza. Cassif also stated that the police did not protect journalist Frey sufficiently, saying, "Armed police move to detain anyone saddened by the massacres in Gaza, while they do not lift a finger to protect a leftist journalist whose life is in danger."