Palestinian candidate's house attacked over EU appeal
The postponement of the Palestinian elections continues to inspire threats and violence, including against the candidates themselves.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — The implications of President Mahmoud Abbas’ decision to postpone the Palestinian elections are still surfacing in the Palestinian territories. On May 1, unknown armed men shot and threw grenades at the house of electoral candidate Nizar Bannat. The attack came a few hours after the Freedom and Dignity electoral list, which Bannat formed, sent a message to the European Union demanding it halt funding for the Palestinian Authority and its security apparatus.
In its May 1 letter to the EU, the list voiced its intention to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights to “call for halting financial support to the PA and launching an inquiry into the squandered money of European taxpayers.” It said that it will proceed with this step unless the PA sets a clear timeline for the legislative elections in the coming months.
Bannat is among key political activists who oppose the PA and Fatah and has been the target of several attacks and arrests.
Bannat has been in hiding since his house was attacked on May 2. He told Al-Monitor, “I received calls from private numbers threatening me. My house was besieged for an hour until I arrived. Shots were fired on the house with my children inside. If this isn’t a murder threat, then I don’t know what is.”
