PA security attacks protest against death of jailed Hamas member

24 February 2008

Ramallah / Kristen Ess - The Fateh-controlled Palestinian Authority is in the habit lately of arresting Hamas members in the West Bank.

This is part of the internal strife, ongoing before Hamas won the Palestinian Legislative Council elections, and before the party’s ousting and take-over of all Gaza Strip offices.

And the PA is in the habit of arresting journalists who report on the arrests; take the example of a necessarily unnamed source in the northern West Bank who was released just two months ago on the condition that he “not report on any security activities in the Jenin Governorate.”

Two days ago Majed Al Barghouthi died in a PA jail. The 42 year old was a Hamas member, one of the many currently imprisoned by the Fateh-controlled PA.

Many placed the onus on PA-appointed Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, while others simply demanded an investigation into his death. The Palestinian Legislative Council is among those calling for an investigation. Ousted Foreign Minister in Gaza, Mahmoud Az Zahar said today, “Those who are interested in finding the courage must uncover the circumstances of the death of Al Barghouthi." The PA says he died of a heart attack. His widow in the northern West Bank's Kobar Village told reporters that her husband was "tortured to death."

But what was clear today is that the Hamas demonstrators in Ramallah’s Manara Circle were certain that Barghouthi’s death was not exactly accidental: if not an assassination, then the result of heavy torture. Palestinian Security forces opened fire during Saturday's protest Al Barghouthi's Kobar Village, injuring two demonstrators. Today in Ramallah the PA security quickly beat and arrested demonstrating Hamas members.

Yesterday, Saturday, Palestinian Legislative Council members held a meeting without the presence of Fateh or Hamas. It was the leftists and Hassan Kriesha, the Second Deputy in the PLC, an indpendent. Hezbe Shab, PFLP, DFLP, and the Third Way held their own press conference to discuss the death of Al Barghouthi.

And on Sunday afternoon PA security forces brutally attacked demonstrators in a scenario similar to that in the same spot on the day of Annapolis. Wide-spread protests were held against the conference in which President Abbas and his crew were taking part. The PA did not want the world to see that the people were against it. And when an Islamic group joined the protest, the PA security began swinging. They arrested nearly all of the demonstrators and began attacking journalists.

Today in Manara journalists were more cautious, standing much further back than is normal, taking no chances on receiving the types of beatings faced last time, such as the breaking of Al Jazeera reporter Wa’el Shoukhi’s arm.