Israeli Internal Intelligence, Shabak, Blackmails Sick Palestinians from Gaza for Espionage Purposes, Says MP Muhammed Baraka

MP Baraka: Shabak blackmails sick Palestinians for espionage purposes

[ 03/10/2007 - 09:50 PM ]

NAZARETH, (PIC)--

Palestinian Arab member of the Israeli parliament (known as Knesset in Hebrew) Muhammed Baraka accused the Israeli domestic intelligence department (Shabak) of extorting sick Palestinians from Gaza Strip into spying for them.

Reports published by the Hebrew Maariv newspaper mentioned ways and means used by the Shabak in exploiting, trapping, and recruiting sick Palestinian citizens from Gaza Strip for espionage purposes had apparently irked the Arab MP and prompted him to send an official protest to Israeli premier Ehud Olmert over the issue.

"The news reports indeed add more evidence to that I have on my desk on the inhuman and unjustified methods used by the Israeli Shabak in extorting sick Palestinians from Gaza Strip seeking medication in the West Bank or inside the 1948-occupied Palestinian lands to recruit and employ them as spies", Baraka reportedly wrote in his letter to Olmert.

He also affirmed that he personally witnessed a case wherein the IOF troops blocked sick Palestinian child from proceeding to the hospital despite his bad health condition at the Beit Hanon crossing point, north of Gaza Strip.

"These are war crimes on the part of the IOF troops that are added to the war crimes they had been committing against the Palestinian people over the past six decades with full support of the successive Israeli occupation governments", the legislator underlined.

He also shrugged off Israel's security excuses to justify such crimes against the sick people, affirming, "No excuse could justify denying a sick person proper and fast medical attention".

In an interview with the Maariv daily, many Palestinian citizens complained that the Israeli intelligence officers stationed at the crossings had extorted and asked them to collaborate with and spy for the Israeli security departments in exchange for granting them an exit permit to seek medication outside Gaza.

Baraka also quoted the paper's reportage as affirming that any Palestinian refusing to collaborate with the Shabak will be banned from proceeding for medication regardless of his health condition.

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