Chairman of Balad (The National Democratic Assembly), MK Jamal Zahalka, on rejected on Sunday, September 18, as false allegations that senior party officials had systematically and illegally transferred millions of shekels into the party’s accounts.
The press conference at Balad party headquarters in Nazareth, on Sunday, September 18 (Photo: Al-Arab)
MK Zahalka called the police investigation, which began a few months ago and was made public on Sunday, “part of a campaign of political persecution against Balad.” Party officials were notified Sunday afternoon of an additional round of arrests of party activists. Balad’s MKs were not questioned by police.
MK Zahalka was speaking at a press conference at Balad party headquarters in Nazareth on Sunday. Participants included leaders of Balad, representatives of Hadah, the United Arab List, and Ta’al, the three other parties that together with Balad form the Joint List, and the Chairman of the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee, former MK Mohammed Barakeh (Hadash), a leading member of the Communist Party of Israel (CPI). Police searched “suspects’” homes and offices and detained for questioning over 20 people, including senior party officials such as former Secretary General Awad Abd al-Fatah.
“The wave of arrests is intended to impose terror and fear on the Arab public and its political activity. If allegations against Balad are worth such a wave of arrests — then the police must first turn to the Prime Minister’s Residence on Balfour Street [in Jerusalem] and raid it because the suspicions concerning it are much more serious and harsh,” said Barakeh. “What was done first against the Islamic Movement in Israel [the illegalization of its Northern Branch] and now against Balad is a sign that we are at the peak of a plan against the Arab community and its political activity,” he added. Both Hadash and the CPI condemned on Sunday evening the arrest of the Balad activists and called for a joint Jewish-Arab struggle for democracy against the far-right Israeli government.
