This time he is being persecuted for participating in a demonstration against the killing of Palestinians and the role of then-Security Minister Ehud Barak. The demonstration was held in July 2007 in Nazareth during which Barakeh is being accused of “interfering with police action” as they began brutalizing nonviolent demonstrators.
Barak was inside a hotel to meet with supporters of the Israeli Labor Party. The demonstration against him was for direct responsibility in the killing of 13 youth during the attacks on Palestinian demonstrations by police and security services in October 2000.
Barakeh said of the Israeli Attorney General’s latest decision to prosecute him, “This is a political decision of the first degree. The issue is not a personal issue, but a clear message of intimidation directed against the Arab masses and democratic forces in a desperate bid to deter the struggle for legitimate and necessary rights.”
Of the approval of the Israeli Attorney General to submit the indictments against him, Barakeh said, “It is a nail trim for political action on the Arab street. But our response is clear as when two months the intention was announced to provide a three-item indictment, one being for participating in a demonstration in Bil’in, I was the next day at the weekly demonstration in Bil’in Village. And tomorrow I shall be again with the broad masses of displaced persons in the village being destroyed to commemorate the plight of our people.”
Two months ago Attorney General Menachem Mazuz announced his intention to provide an indictment of three items which were Knesset member Barakeh allegedly “assaulting” soldiers from the occupying army and police during three demonstrations: one against the occupation of Bil’in and two against the war in Lebanon in the summer of 2006.
Barakeh is accused of “attacking” one of the people who tried to attack veteran peace activist Uri Avnery, a leading member of Gush Shalom, who was 83 at the time. This was during a demonstration against the war on Lebanon, 22 July 2006 when Barakeh prevented the attack on Avnery.
There is also the claim of "smacking" a police officer during a demonstration against the war in Lebanon held in Tel-Aviv by Hadash and the Communist Party of Israel on the fifth of August of the year 2006. Barakeh did not know at that moment that eight Israeli police officers had assaulted his 16 year old son Said, a member of the Communist Youth. The young communist was severely beaten and detained for hours before being put under house arrest for several days.