ISRAEL POLICE ARREST PALESTINIAN ACADEMIC ON SUSPICION OF INCITEMENT TO TERROR

Israel Police Arrest Palestinian Academic on Suspicion of Incitement to Terror

Professor Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian was taken to a police station near Jerusalem and investigated. 'This is an illegal arrest whose purpose is to intimidate any critical voices in the Israeli academy,' her attorneys said

April 18th, 19PM April 18th, 20PM

A Palestinian academic at Jerusalem's Hebrew University, who raised doubts about sexual assault incidents involving Hamas terrorists on October 7, was arrested by the Israel Police.

Professor Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian was brought to a police station near Jerusalem and is suspected of incitement to terror, violence, and racism. Her attorneys added that the police confiscated a mobile phone, a computer documents and books of the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish from her apartment.

Shalhoub-Kevorkian was suspended from teaching early in March following pressure from students, right-wing activists and politicians, for comments she made in an interview on the "Makdisi Street" podcast.

The university reinstated her after she clarified that she does not doubt that sexual assaults took place during Hamas' attack.

In a segment on the podcast devoted to October 7, Shalhoub-Kevorkian said that "The creation of stories, the exaggeration, were done in order to portray the Palestinians as terrible… Sexual violence is a thing that happens, and I oppose it… If a woman says she was raped, I believe her. But we're not seeing [after October 7] a woman who came out and said what happened to her."

"This is an illegal arrest whose purpose is to intimidate and harm any critical voices in the Israeli academy," said her attorneys Mahajana and Hassan Jabarin.

"Behind the police's agenda is a racist and inciting minister. The more important question is whether the State Prosecutor approved this type of investigation and arrest." Israel's State Prosecutor's Office said in response that they have indeed approved the investigation.

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir praised the arrest, saying he "congratulates" for detaining the "professor who incited against the State of Israel."

According to him, the apprehension "sends the significant message that those who incite against Israel will not be able to hide under such titles or roles."

Arab-Israeli lawmaker Ahmad Tibi responded said that "the settlers who murdered two Palestinians aren't being investigated; the rabbis who incite to murder Arabs are embraced."

"Those who paved the way for this investigation are the shameful and cowardly administration of the Hebrew University," he added.

2024-04-18T16:23:52Z dg43tfdfdgfd