Three newly elected Jewish Democratic members of Congress called on Israel on Friday to immediately release Palestinian journalist and political analyst Abed Abu Shehadeh, an Israeli citizen arrested earlier this week at his home in Jaffa on suspicion of contact with a foreign agent.
In a joint letter addressed to Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, Congressmen-elect Brad Lander of New York, Daniel Biss of Illinois and Scott Wiener of California expressed concern over Abu Shehadeh’s detention, which they said appeared to be connected to an interview he conducted with former Israeli lawmaker Azmi Bishara.
The three Democrats, elected to the House of Representatives on Tuesday, November 3, will take office in January.
According to the letter, approximately 15 masked Israeli police and Shin Bet officers entered Abu Shehadeh’s home on election night, searched the premises and took him into custody.
A court subsequently extended his detention until Sunday on suspicion of “contact with a foreign agent,” based on classified evidence that has not been shared with his attorneys.
Lawmakers cite reports from journalist's lawyers
The lawmakers cited reports from lawyers representing Abu Shehadeh, who said investigators had questioned him about a podcast interview he recently conducted with Bishara, whom he had previously interviewed without incident.
“Interviewing political figures — including controversial ones — is the core work of journalism in a free society,” the lawmakers wrote. “Detaining a reporter for conducting an interview is the kind of act that representatives in democracies rightly condemn when governments commit it.”
Abu Shehadeh serves on the editorial board of Arab48, hosts the Arabic-language news podcast Al-Midan and has contributed to several international publications, including Al Jazeera and +972 Magazine. He is also the elected chairman of the Islamic Council in Jaffa.
The three lawmakers also raised concerns about the timing of the arrest, citing reported efforts by senior Israeli officials to challenge the participation of Palestinian citizens in Israel’s recent general election.
They urged the Israeli government to release Abu Shehadeh immediately or, if charges are filed, disclose the evidence to his legal representatives and ensure an open judicial process with full due-process protections.
The letter also called on Israel to end what the lawmakers described as the interrogation and prosecution of journalists for conducting interviews and reporting.
Democratic protections should apply equally in both countries, lawmakers say
Drawing a parallel with their own criticism of immigration-related detentions in the United States, the lawmakers stressed that democratic protections should apply equally in both countries.
“No one should be detained for journalism, or held on evidence they cannot see,” they wrote.
“The longstanding alliance between the United States and Israel rests in large part on a commitment to shared democratic values and international law,” the lawmakers added.
They asked Ambassador Leiter to convey their concerns to the Israeli government and respond at his earliest convenience.