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Monday, April 27, 2009
Contact: Dr. Avraham Goldstein, Executive Vice President of the American Legal Forum for the Land of Israel
Phone: 212-631-5840 ext. 1
E-mail: press@americanlegalforum.org
The Legal Forum for the Land of Israel, an Israeli civil rights and government watchdog group, has requested Israeli Attorney General Menahem Mazuz to order a police investigation of Member of Knesset Ibraham Sarsur for reportedly meeting with Sheikh Hamid Khadair Al-Baitawi, an Islamic cleric closely associated with Hamas.
Al-Baitawi was once deported from Israel and has publically called for suicide attacks against Israelis. The Associated Press quoted Al-Baitwai in June 2002 as stating "As long as the Israeli occupation is killing our people, we have the right from the sky to kill its civilians" (Prominent Palestinians Condemn Suicide Bombings (Associated Press, June 19, 2002)).
The Israeli news agency Arutz Sheva reported that Sarsur, along with members of the Islamic Movement, met with Al-Baitwai on April 25, 2009 as part of a solidarity mission (Sarsur met with Hamas Leadership in Shechem (Arutz Sheva, April 27, 2009) in Hebrew).
Nachi Eyal, the General Director of the Legal Forum told the Attorney General that the meeting "constituted a violation of having a contact with a foreign agent according to the Article 114 of the Penal Law from 1977." That law punishes, with 15 years in prison, a person who intentionally meets with a "foreign agent," a designation which includes members and associates of terrorist organizations.
In his letter, Eyal referred to the controversy in Israel surrounding the actions of former Arab MK Azmi Bishara (Balad) who was accused of treason and espionage for spying on Israel for Hezbollah during Israelis war with Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006. Bishara left Israel in 2007.
"Especially in the light of the grievous story of ex-MK Bishara who was suspected in committing severe violations but escaped from Israel without any punishment, it is essential that you be sensitive to this matter," Eyal told Mazuz.
Last week, the Legal Forum requested MK Reuven Rivlin (Likud), the Speaker of the Knesset, to take action regarding Arab MK Jamal Zehalka's (National Democratic Assembly) participation in the Durban Conference on Racism. Israel and several other countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany and Holland, boycotted the conference because of its unfair targeting of Israel.
Sarsur is a member of the United Arab List, an Israeli-Arab political party with four members in Israel's parliament, the Knesset. A total of 13 Arabs serve in the Knesset.
In March 2007 Sarsur notably called for the liberation of Jerusalem stating it was an even more important task than the struggle in Iraq or Kashmir. “Just as the Muslims liberated Jerusalem from the Crusaders, so we must believe that today, too, the liberation of Jerusalem is not an impossible mission,” Sarsur was quoted as saying. “Muslims around the world need to concentrate their energies on Jerusalem, not on Iraq or Kashmir or any other place, because Jerusalem is the central and most dangerous issue and thus must form the banner and the framework for the struggle of Muslims and Arabs around the world" (MK Sarsur: We Must act Together to Liberate Jerusalem (Ynetnews.com, March 18, 2009) ).
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Please see the attached English translation of the Legal Forum's letter regarding MK Sarsur (in .pdf).
The American Legal Forum for the Land of Israel advocates for "Jewish rights to and in the Land of Israel," fundraises for legal projects in Israel and is affiliated with the Legal Forum for the Land of Israel. For more information please visit http://www.americanlegalforum.org.
The Legal Forum for the Land of Israel works to protect civil rights in Israel, for government reform, and the national interests of the State of Israel and the Jewish people. For more information on the Legal Forum for the Land of Israel visit http://www.haforum.org.il (Hebrew) or http://www.americanlegalforum.org.
This Press Release in a .pdf.
