Ramallah, 29-05-07: Israel‘s arrest of yet another Palestinian legislator from the Fatah movement last night signals a wider campaign to destabilise the Palestinian democratic system that goes far beyond arrests of members of Hamas, said Palestinian Minister of Information Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi today.
Jamal Al Terawi was seized from Balata Refugee Camp in Nablus last night during a raid by the Israeli military, bringing the total number of Palestinian Legislative Council members now being held in Israeli prisons to 42, in addition to 2 current Cabinet Ministers and 4 former Cabinet Ministers.
Dr. Barghouthi reiterated that such arrests represent an "assault against Palestinian democracy". He said that by such actions, Israel is seeking the complete destruction of the Palestinian Authority, a reversal of past peace agreements, and a return to a fully-fledged military occupation.