Israeli charged with passing West Bank land sales information to PA

Israeli charged with passing West Bank land sales information to PA
An Israeli has been charged with passing on information to Palestinian authorities around West Bank land sales to Israelis.
2 min read
16 July, 2018
This is the first time an Israeli has been charged under this offence [Getty]
A left-wing Israeli activist was providing information to the Palestinian Authority [PA] regarding Palestinians involved in selling land to Israelis.

Ezra Nawi was arrested in 2016 and accused of several charges, including attempted murder and contact with a foreign agent. The charges, however, were notably missing in the indictment issued against Nawi in the weekend at the Jerusalem Magistrate Court.

This is the first time an Israeli has been charged with acting in the service of the PA's intelligence and security forces.

Nawi was reportedly in contact with various PA officials including Mohammed Khalil Abu Eid, a member of  the PA's General Intelligence Service in Yatta, Abd al-Hakim Ahmad Mahmoud Wadi, an agent of the military intelligence apparatus in the PA, and Azzam Nawajah, a member of the authority's Preventive Security apparatus.

The charges also claimed that Nawi provided Palestinian officials with information regarding agreements on the delineation of boundaries, holdings and agricultural cultivation of Palestinian land in the South Hebron Hills.

His attorneys have voiced the innocence of their client.

"This is a shameful day for the State Prosecutor's Office," said Attorneys Eitan Peleg and Leah Tsemel representing Nawi.

"It is sad for anyone who believes in the law enforcement system. After two-and-a-half years of harassment, the prosecution filed an indictment that is entirely the result of illegal political pressure.

"We have no doubt that Ezra is completely innocent and we are happy to be able to expose in court the depth of the rot and the political pressures that have entered into the considerations of the police and the State Prosecutor's Office," the lawyers said.

The Ad Kan organisation, who presented evidence against Nawi, reacted to the indictment.

"The organisation is happy to assist law enforcement authorities in Israel to bring to justice offenders who harm IDF soldiers and Israeli security," they said.

"However, we believe that it is justified to attribute heavier charges to Nawi and his colleagues that correctly reflect the crimes they allegedly committed."