MK Khenin during a meeting for the preservation of coasts (Photo: Zalul)

Gov’t committee tasked to advise how to proceed with obsolete beach construction plans

The Inter-ministerial Committee for Legislation ordered on Monday the establishment of a new inter-ministerial committee tasked with advising the government on how to proceed with obsolete beach construction plans. The ministers made the decision to establish the new committee following a discussion about a bill to amend the 2004 Law for Preservation of Coasts, supported…

Arab-Palestinian students protest in solidarity with prisoners on hunger strike inside Israeli jails, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, June 10, 2014 (Photo: Activestills)

Force-feeding bill meeting stiff opposition

The Knesset Internal Affairs and Environment Committee launched on Monday two days of marathon debates over the controversial bill allowing the force-feeding of Palestinian hunger-striking prisoners, as the bill advances toward its second and third readings. The bill, which is officially an amendment to the Prisons Ordinance, passed its first reading last week, with 29…

MK Barakeh during a demonstration in the Palestinian village of Bil'in in the occupied West Bank (Photo: Al Ittihad)

MK Mohammed Barakeh appeals assault conviction

On 8 June 2014, Adalah filed an appeal on behalf of Communist MK Mohammed Barakeh, chairman of Hadash to the Tel Aviv District Court against the Magistrate Court’s decision to convict him of assaulting a right-wing activist during a demonstration against the second war on Lebanon in 2006. MK Barakeh was convicted of this charge…

A demonstration in Nablus in solidarity with hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners, May 25 2014 (Photo: Activestills)

Knesset approves bill to force-feed hunger strikers

The Knesset approved for the first reading a landmark bill Monday which would allow prison authorities to force-feed hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners, sparking fury from several MKs.  The government bill seeks to authorize the Commissioner of Prisons to petition the District Court to obtain a permit for medical treatment of hunger-striking prisoners. After the vote on…