A statement issued today by the Palestinian Ministry of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs denounced the violence being carried out by the Israeli army against unarmed people and Palestinian representatives. “…The Israelis are engaged in the deliberate systematic murder of Palestinian democracy by abducting Palestinian Ministers and Deputies,” the statement read.
The statement was issued after Israeli forces broke into the house of Legislative Council Secretary Mahmoud Al Ramahi from Ramallah on Sunday. They abducted and arrested him, as part of Israel’s ongoing campaign of imprisonment, murder, and kidnapping of elected Palestinian officials, and its targeting and destreuction of Palestinian Authority infrastructure.
The Israeli army also kidnapped Deputy Prime Minister, Minster of Education Nasser Iddin El-Sha’er from his house in Ramallah on Saturday.
“These escalatory actions are designed to undermine our people’s choice and put obstacles in place to hamper the process of constructing our government,” the statement added. “It is also designed to squelch the masses of our people with various political and organizational affiliations.”
Since the capture of the Israeli soldier by the Palestinian resistance on June 25, Israeli forced have kidnapped over 35 Palestinian Parliament Members and 10 cabinet Ministers.
According to the statement, “the Israeli policy of arrogance and heavy-handedness” will not divide the Palestinian people. “Instead it will reinforce the determination of our people to uphold national principles and rally around the government in order to maintain national unity,” the Ministry stated.
The statement called for "solidarity and steadfastness in the face of occupation crimes and violations against our people. Kidnapping ministers, deputies, mayors and members of local councils who were democratically elected will not serve peace, security or stability in the region, but instead will lead to more violence.”
*sourced from Palestine News Network (PNN)
