Why is Israel after Adnan Ghaith?
Israel continues to target Adnan Ghaith, the Palestinian Authority’s representative in Jerusalem, for arrest and bans, claiming that his activities in East Jerusalem undermine Israeli authority over the city, while Palestinians see the Israeli actions as an attempt to eliminate the Palestinian presence there.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Over the years, Israeli authorities have been increasingly aggressive in moving against activities and events held by the Palestinian Authority (PA) and its representatives in East Jerusalem. In line with this has been an Israeli campaign targeting the activities of Adnan Ghaith, the PA's appointed governor for Jerusalem. Ghaith told Al-Monitor that he has been arrested or detained 13 times since taking office on in August 2018.
Most recently, the Israelis arrested Ghaith Oct. 14 on the charge of “exercising sovereignty in Jerusalem” and released him on bail. Two weeks later, Oct. 28-29, Shin Bet, Israel's intelligence agency, summoned Ghaith to the Maskoubia detention center in Jerusalem, where he was handed an order by Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan limiting or banning his work in the city.
Ghaith told Al-Monitor, “Erdan’s decision to prohibit me from holding any meetings with Jerusalemites and civil and popular institutions in Jerusalem and taking part in any [public] activities in the city and disbursing money to Palestinian institutions and Jerusalemites affected by the occupation’s policies are designed to prevent me from conducting my duties as governor of Jerusalem.”
He continued, “Being pursued is a part of the vicious Israeli attack on the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem, whether it is on Al-Aqsa Mosque, the repeated raids, the daily arrests of Jerusalemites or the ban on Palestinian activities. It is a part of a policy to forcibly displace Jerusalemites.”
