By Ranna Khalil | Researcher
Dear Friends,
Greetings to you from Adalah in Haifa.
While mass protests by Jewish Israelis continue almost every day throughout the country calling on the government to bring the remaining Israelis held in Gaza home, the Israeli police continue to bar anti-war protestors, mostly Palestinian citizens of Israel (PCI) in Haifa, from demonstrating.
In January 2025, Adalah sent an urgent letter to the Israeli Attorney General, the State Attorney, the Police Commissioner, and the Commander of the Haifa Police Station, demanding an immediate end to the police’s illegal conduct and the unlawful suppression of peaceful protests against the war on Gaza. Since the war began on 7 October 2023, the Haifa police have made arbitrary, violent arrests of protestors, confiscated their signs, and charged them with criminal offenses to stifle their freedom of expression. Adalah’s letter, which documents over 60 cases of arrests and detention from protests in Haifa- all involving individuals represented by Adalah attorneys- reveals a gross pattern of police misconduct.
Adalah Attorney Hadeel Abu Salih, who has represented scores of protestors, says that: “We are witnessing a blatant and illegal crackdown on those who oppose the war. The Israeli police have turned into a political tool, silencing legitimate dissent while enabling incitement from far-right groups. This dangerous and unlawful policy must end immediately. The targeting of anti-war protesters not only undermines fundamental rights but also sends a clear message that Palestinian citizens and critical voices are unwelcome in the public sphere.”
In the letter, Adalah details how the Haifa police have preemptively banned and forcibly dispersed protests, often declaring peaceful demonstrations illegal even before they begin and threatening participants with arrest. The letter describes the arbitrary arrests and criminalization of protesters, noting that dozens have been detained under false pretexts, including alleged threats to the public order. In many instances, courts have rejected these claims and ordered the detainees’ release due to a lack of evidence. It also highlights that protesters carrying banners with messages such as “Stop the genocide” or “Save Gaza” have had their signs seized by police, despite these texts being legal expressions of free speech.
These repressive measures have disproportionately targeted PCI, in stark contrast to the impunity shown toward far-right counter-demonstrators, who incited violence against protestors without facing any police intervention.
Adalah called on Israeli officials to end the unlawful dispersal of anti-war protests, to stop the confiscation of protest signs and to uphold the rights to freedom of expression and assembly. Adalah also demanded a thorough investigation into the cases of unlawful arrests and violence against demonstrators and urged an end to the selective and discriminatory enforcement of laws that disproportionately target PCI.
The police's violent and arbitrary measures constitute one part of a broader crackdown on Palestinian voices since 7 October 2023, including the arrests of academics, journalists, artists, and booksellers, as well as the banning of cultural and artistic events, including film screenings. The stifling of Palestinian dissent against the war remains a serious threat to Palestinians’ rights and demands international attention.
Thank you again for your generous support to Adalah’s work.
By Ranna Khalil | Researcher
By Ranna Khalil | Researcher
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