An Israeli military court has sentenced a female Palestinian lawmaker to 15 months in prison after convicting her of belonging to an illegal organization and incitement, the army announced today, drawing angry denunciations from Palestinian leaders in the West Bank.
The sentencing of Khalida Jarrar culminated a case that has attracted widespread attention. Jarrar is a popular figure in the West Bank and well known for her fiery speeches against Israel.
Jarrar was arrested last April in a raid on her home for allegedly violating Israeli travel restrictions that barred her from Ramallah, the West Bank city where her family lives. She was subsequently charged with incitement and membership in an illegal organisation.
Palestinians say Jarrar, who is in her early 50s and is the mother of two grown daughters pursuing advanced university degrees in Canada, was prosecuted for political reasons. They say the evidence against her was flimsy and that she poses no threat to public safety.
Hanan Ashrawi, a senior Palestinian official, said there was "no legal basis" for the sentencing. In a statement issued on behalf of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee, she said it violated Jarrar's parliamentary immunity and called for her immediate release.
"The actions of the military court are politically motivated and are part of a deliberate attack on Palestinian politicians," she said. "It is high time for the dehumanization and the captivity of the Palestinian people to end."
Jarrar is a senior member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a secular, left-leaning Palestinian faction that opposes peace with Israel. The group, which was involved in hijackings and other attacks in the 1970s, has scaled back its militant activities in recent years.
In a statement, the army said Jarrar was convicted under a plea agreement Sunday in a military court for her PFLP membership and for allegedly calling for Palestinians to kidnap Israeli soldiers in order to win the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Jarrar is also an outspoken feminist activist who was involved in a Palestinian bid to press for war crimes charges against Israel at the International Criminal Court.
She has criticized the Palestinian Authority for its security cooperation with Israel, which has continued even during months of Israeli-Palestinian fighting.
In the latest violence, a Palestinian official said a Palestinian youth was shot and killed early Tuesday in clashes with Israeli soldiers at the Deheishe refugee camp in the West Bank.
