Statement by Dr. Saeb Erekat on the Israeli threats against MP Khaleda Jarrar

Before dawn this morning, Israeli forces raided the home of Palestine Legislative Council Member, Khaleda Jarrar. While there, the forces issued Ms. Jarrar a military order instructing her to abandon her home in Ramallah, and conning her to a specied area of Jericho. is unlawful order is yet another manifestation of Israel’s widespread and systematic attack against the Palestinian civilian population, and is in clear contravention of Israel’s obligation under international law and treaties to respect the fundamental human rights of individuals, including the rights to self-determination, freedom of movement, privacy, and protection of the family. Moreover, the issuing of this order eectively amounts to attempted forcible transfer, unlawful connement and persecution, all of which are crimes punishable under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and under the universal jurisdiction provisions of the majority of States.

We condemn this illegal Israeli order in the harshest terms, as well the continued detention or administrative detention of 36 additional members of the Palestine Legislative Council. We call upon the Inter-Parliamentary Union to take concrete measures against Israel’s harassment of democratically elected members of the Palestinian parliament. We also call upon the international community and domestic, regional and international human rights organizations to speak out in order to prevent the enforcement of this unlawful order and, thereby, to prevent yet another Israeli crime against the Palestinian population.