UAL MKs meet with Hamas representatives

Likud MK Dan Naveh proposes amending the existing immunity law.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Only one day after United Arab List members' controversial meeting with Hamas parliamentarians in east Jerusalem, the Arab members of Knesset met again with prominent members of Hamas on Thursday evening. UAL representatives met with PA Minister of Jerusalem Affairs, Khaled Abu-Arfa, as well as Hamas MPs whose citizenship Israel wishes to revoke, Muhammad Abu Teir, Ahmed Atun and Muhammad Totah. The meeting was originally scheduled to take place in the office of the PA Minister of Jerusalem Affairs in east Jerusalem, however after a Border Police force reached the site, the participants decided to relocate the meeting to a private residence in El-Eizariya, located between Jerusalem and Ma'aleh Adumim. UAL members claimed that police prevented the three PA MPs access to the building, however police denied this claim, stating that the Palestinian MPs refused to arrive at the location when they noticed the police there in order to avoid a confrontation. As a result of the meeting, Likud MK Dan Naveh stated that he plans to present a bill to amend the anti-terror directive, according to which talks between Israeli citizens or residents with members of an organization defined as a terror organization would constitute a criminal offence. In addition, Naveh proposed amending the existing immunity law. The amendment would stipulate that basic immunity would be revoked for meetings with terror organizations - if those took place without governmental authorization. If these amendments will be made, the changes would reinstate the ban on meeting with terrorists which was canceled by the Oslo Accords. Prior to the meeting, UAL MK Jamal Zahalka said that it was meant to "show solidarity with the Hamas MPs and condemnation of the Israeli non-democratic decision to revoke the residency of the three Hamas MPs living in east Jerusalem." He added that "The parliament members have been living in Jerusalem since before Israel conquered the territories and no one has the right to banish them from there."