The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) prevented PLC members, including committee members and one minister, from traveling from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank city of Ramallah, where the PLC was called to assemble today, Monday, 10 March 2003, to discuss the nomination of a Prime Minister in the Palestinian Authority (PA).
At the same time, IOF continued its detention of Abdul Rahim Malouh and Taysir Khalid, both members of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee, and Marwan al-Barghuthi, a member of the PLC and also the PLO Central Council.
The Israeli Government’s decision banned the following PLC members from access to Ramallah: Abdul Aziz Shahin, Dr.
Kamal ash-Sharafi, Musa az-Za’but, Rafat an-Najar, Sheikh Fuad Ubaid, Dr.
Jawad at-Tibi, Ahmad Nasr and Karam Zarandah.
It is worth noting that for more than two years the PLC has not been functioning in its normal capacity due to frequent Israeli bans on member movement and assembly.
Additionally this decision comes at a crucial time as the PLC is due to discuss strategic issues in relation to the Palestinian Basic Law and the nomination of the first Palestinian Prime Minister in the PA.
Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights condemns Israel’s ban on PLC member movement and emphasizes the fact that the decision is only a part of a consistent Israeli policy, which aims to impair Palestinian parliamentary and democratic life.
The Center also believes that this decision comes in a larger context of Israeli violations of Palestinian human rights, including violating the right to free movement.
Al-Mezan calls on the international community to exert more pressure on Israel to comply with international law and human rights standards in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and to end its ongoing aggression against Palestinian civilians and their elected representatives.
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