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Convicted for the words of their people
In 29/4/2026 in #Haifa, the magistrate court gave a verdict in a trial of two #Palestinian activists. The two, Ahmad Khalifah and Muhammad Taher Jabarin, are activists from Umm al-Fahm, a Palestinian town in the occupied 48 territory.
The court has convicted them for “identification with a terrorist organization” and “incitement to terrorism”. The charges an conviction are all related to one demonstration, which took place in Umm al-Fahm on October 19, 2023. The verdict is another milestone in the long road of their political persecution, false arrest and tortures. While the struggle for justice to Ahmad and Muhammad is not yet ended, it's important to emphasize the gravity of this verdict, both to the convicted activists and the Palestinian activism in occupied 48 territories.
The blog Free Haifa describes the arrest of the two on October 19, 2023. two days after the bombing of Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza.
> “As the demonstrators started to disperse peacefully, they were violently attacked without warning by the police and border guard. Eleven of the demonstrators and one journalist were detained and badly beaten during this attack. The journalist was released the next day, and nine of the demonstrators were released the day after. But two activists, Muhammad Taher Jabarin and lawyer Ahmad Khalifa, whom the police accused of leading the demonstration, are still being held in harsh conditions in the Megiddo security prison.”
### **The struggle against criminal gangs (backed by Israel “security services”)**
“Free Haifa” also provides additional context for the arrest, beside of direct political harassment, The same two activists where also leading members of anti-criminal movement:
> “Umm al-Fahm was also one of the towns that has suffered most from the rise of criminal gangs, and the prevalence of murder and other social ills that have spread as the Israeli police and security services have looked the other way. No wonder that, in recent years, Umm al-Fahm witnessed the rise of the strongest popular “Herak” — a new type of protest movement that stresses grassroots activity and unity of all sections of society. They have mobilized large parts of the local population in Umm al-Fahm to demonstrations, which have accused the police of responsibility for the surge of crime and bloodshed in the streets. For some time, it seemed that social pressure even significantly reduced crime.”
In case the cooperation between the state and criminals is not clear, after the arrest, drive-by-shutting attacks where carried against the houses of their families, one for each family. a common criminal act to terrorize the activists.
Ahamad Khalifah was “released” to home detain after 4 months in prison, Muhammad Taher Jabarin after 8, both suffered abuse and tortures during their long arrest. “On December 6, both were indicted in the Haifa Magistrate Court for “identification with a terrorist organization” and “incitement to terrorism.” The indictment is based on a completely out-of-context interpretation of the very cautious slogans that were chanted in the demonstration. These slogans did not mention (by name or even by hint) any Palestinian organization and did not call for any violent act. But, by the prosecution’s racist interpretation, any call to Palestinians to struggle in defense of their rights, or for resistance to the occupation, could only mean support for terrorism.”
### Here are some of the slogans that the indictment cites (in Arabic, they have a rhythm and rhyme):
_Resist, resist, resist, on your rights do not compromise!_ _There is no solution, other than the uprooting of the occupier!_ _The unity of your people, oh Palestine, a thorn in the throat of the occupiers!_ _Join us, masses, the people of Gaza are dear to us!_ _Oh Gaza, stay strong, your land gave birth to lions!_ _Hashem’s Gaza (*) will not bow to the tank and the cannon!_ _Shout and raise your voice, death is better than humiliation!_ _In Gaza, al-Aqsa, and Sheikh Jarrah, my people call for struggle!_
(*) Hashem’s Gaza is an old traditional nickname for the city.
All these slogans are old slogans repeated millions of times in hundreds of demonstrations before, and nobody was ever charged for them.
### **The court decision**
On April 29, 2026, the court decided to convict the two for “identification with a terrorist organization” and “incitement to terrorism”, all based on slogans they chanted in on demonstration. That unacceptable injustice is more then “just” a personal revenge, it's door opening for a new stage of oppression and silencing of Palestinian activism. chants that are considered trivial, even historical, in Palestinian protests, have been criminalized by this verdict and banned without any consideration of context and without real discussion on the actual content. Basic expressions of solidarity of Palestinians with their people in #Gaza are thus viewed by the court as supporting “terrorism”.
### **“Context” for Israelis only**
Unsurprisingly, the political interpretation of slogans has became significant part of the legal dispute, with lots of attention to the word “Context” as indicator for how should they be interpreted. For the court, apparently, the consideration of “context” has become a racial profiling tool. On one hand, the court sees the October 7 attack as “context” for interpretation of trivial chants of solidarity as “supporting act of terror”. At the same time, the court rejects the expert testimony of professor Yoni Mendel. Professor Mendel claimed that the context for the slogans in question was Israeli shelling of Gaza, including the bombing of Al-Ahli Hospital. The court refused to accept that, essentially deciding that only the killing of Israelis should be considered context, not the killing of Palestinians.
Political persecution of Palestinians in the 48 occupied territories has escalated dramatically in the last years. it takes the form of longer arrests, tortures and trials for serious offenses made on the basis of bogus charges, or blown out of proportion, or taken out of context. In many cases, such as in the trial of the Palestinian poet Dareen Tatour, the court expects Palestinian defendant to consider in advance the Israeli interpretation of their words. Yet, this case stands out. In other cases, the words in question were posted online, sent to (sometimes family) WhatsApp groups or chats, or said in public speech. This is the only case where the “incitement” is one demonstration, with words of trivial slogans that were chanted many times before and after this specific demonstration.
Ahmad Khalifah and Muhammad Taher Jabarin were convicted for slogans that are used by almost any Palestinian activist when protesting. They have already payed a hard price for chanting the words of their people, the common words of solidarity. This must be seen as direct attack on Palestinians right for solidarity, self organizing and political struggle. it requires a united Palestinian struggle to defend the basic freedom of expression and the collective right for solidarity.
