Adalah's Court Hearings in December 2014
In December 2014, Adalah will be representing at several important hearings in Israeli courts concerning the rights of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel and Palestinian residents of Jerusalem. Below is a list of these hearings and summaries of the cases. We invite you to attend these hearings and/or to contact Adalah for more information on these cases.
Challenging a construction company's policy of refusing to sell apartments to Arab citizens
HCJ 8625/13 Muhannad Khoury v. Israel Land Authority et al.
The Israeli Supreme Court will hold a second hearing on a petition filed by Adalah in 12/13 demanding that a construction company be ordered to sell an apartment to an Arab citizen in a new neighborhood in Afula located in central Israel. The petition was filed after the company refused to sell the man an apartment, claiming that the area was not a "mixed neighborhood". Adalah argued that the apartments, which were built on state lands managed by the ILA, could not be subject to discriminatory allocation against citizens based on their national belonging. The state and the ILA agree with Adalah's position. The company, to date, has refused to change its policy.Press release
9 December 2014
Challenging the revocation of residency of Palestinian parliamentary representatives from East Jerusalem
HCJ 7803/06 Khalid Abu Arafeh et al. Minister of Interior
The Supreme Court will hold a hearing before an expanded panel of justices onthe case of an appeal by four members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) who reside in East Jerusalem against the decision of the Israeli Interior Minister in June 2006 to cancel their residency in Israel. Adalah and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel are participating in the case asamicus curiae. The human rights organizations argued in a legal opinion submitted in 5/07 that the decision to revoke the residency of the Palestinian parliamentary members gravely violates their constitutional right to live in their place of residence and homeland without the threat of expulsion. The opinion emphasized that Israeli law does not grant the Interior Minister the authority to cancel permanent residency for "breach of trust" due to membership in a foreign parliament, especially as Israel agreed to allow the elections for the PLC from Jerusalem to go forward in 2006. The organizations also stressed that the issue entails a particularly complex status, because East Jerusalem is occupied territory under international law and the residents of East Jerusalem are protected residents.Press release
9 December 2014
Challenging the Knesset's 6-month suspension of Arab MK Haneen Zoabi
HCJ 6706/14 MK Haneen Zoabi et al v. The Knesset
The Supreme Court will hold a hearing before an expanded panel of justices on a petition filed by Adalah and ACRIon behalf of Arab Member of Knesset (MK) Haneen Zoabi (Balad/al-Tajammu' party) against theKnesset Ethics Committee's decisionon 29 July 2014 to suspend MK Zoabi from all parliamentary meetings for six months (until the end of January 2015). The suspension is based on statements MK Zoabi made in a radio interview in June 2014 about the abduction of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank. The petitioners argued that the decision is a serious violation of MK Zoabi's right to freely express her political opinion and her right to political participation. The petitioners further argued that the Ethics Committee lacks the legal authority to impose such a sanction in this case, and that the decision was taken despite the fact the Attorney General refused to indict MK Zoabi for charges of incitement.Press release
11 December 2014
Defending Arab Bedouin leader against criminal charges for staying on village land
CC 12879-08-10 State of Israel v. Sheikh Sayyah al-Touri (Be'er Sheva Magistrates' Court)
The Be'er Sheva Magistrates' Court will hold a hearing on a criminal indictment filed by Israeli police against Sheikh Sayyah al-Touri, the head of the unrecognized Arab Bedouin village of Al-Araqib, on the charges of forcibly taking control of the unrecognized village's land and the failure to obey orders to the leave the land. Adalah has submitted preliminary arguments in this case seeking its dismissal, arguing that no crimes have been committed. The case is the last of 14 criminal indictments filed against villagers and activists in Al-Araqib, who were arrested and injured during protests against home demolitions in the village in 2010 and 2011.Previous press releases
15 December 2014
Appeal against conviction of Arab MK Mohammed Barakeh
Appeal 13515-6-14 MK Mohammed Barakeh v. The State of Israel (Tel Aviv District Court)
The Tel Aviv District Court will hold a hearing on an appeal filed by Adalah on behalf of MK Mohammed Barakeh (Hadash/al-Jabha party) against his conviction for assaulting a right-wing activist during a demonstration against the second war on Lebanon in 2006. MK Barakeh was convicted on 24 April 2014 and sentenced to a fine of NIS 650. Adalah argued in the appeal that the lower court wrongfully failed to consider MK Barakeh's parliamentary immunity, and that nonetheless, no crime was committed as MK Barakeh simply fended off a right-wing activist who was trying to attack the demonstrators.Adalah also emphasized that the court ignored numerous similar cases in which Knesset members were not indicted, and therefore the filing of the indictment against MK Barakeh constitutes discrimination against him.Press release
