The death of Nizar Banat, who was allegedly beaten to death by Palestinian security officers last Thursday, has left several Palestinian political activists worried for their life.
Some activists who are critical of the Palestinian Authority said on Saturday they have received threats because of their views.
The activists blamed the US, European Union and other international parties of turning a blind eye to human rights violations and corruption by the PA, including the crackdown on dozens of critics and political opponents in the West Bank in the past few weeks.
“It’s interesting and disturbing that the Palestinian Authority’s unprecedented crackdown began immediately after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Ramallah last month,” said Palestinian writer and political analyst Nadia Harhash. “Blinken was quoted as saying that the new US administration wants to empower the Palestinian Authority. If empowerment means arresting and killing political activists, then the US is definitely complicit in the crimes of the Palestinian security forces.”
Last year, unidentified arsonists set fire to Harhash’s car in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Bet Hanina. She said that the torching of her car was connected to her recurring criticism of the PA government’s performance, especially their handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Harhash told The Jerusalem Post that she was in close contact with Banat since August 2020, when he was forced to go into hiding because of threats by the PA security forces.
“It’s obvious that the US administration gave the Palestinian Authority a green light to tighten its control over the Palestinian population,” she said. “In this case, control means what we just witnessed with Nizar Banat. It can go as far as killing people, and not just arresting them.”
Harhash said that such support for the PA has evidently backfired, further undermining the Palestinian leadership’s credibility among its people.
“If they think that strengthening the PA will weaken Hamas, the Americans are making a big mistake,” she added. “The widespread discontent with the Palestinian Authority has nothing to do with Hamas. It is the result of rampant corruption and assaults on public freedoms. There is no rule of law; people no longer feel safe and secure under the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian Authority’s repressive actions are fueling the anger on the Palestinian street.”
Harhash said that when PA President Mahmoud Abbas announced his decision earlier this year to hold parliamentary and presidential elections, he did so because he was seeking legitimacy that would pave the way for the US administration to resume financial aid to the PA leadership.
“But when President Abbas canceled the elections, the US, instead of reprimanding him, rewarded him with money,” she said. “The US move was a mistake and it sent the wrong message to the Palestinian leadership – that it no longer needs to obtain legitimacy from the Palestinians because it already secured unconditional US financial aid. Now the Palestinian leaders feel free to go after anyone who speaks out against them.”
Asked if she was afraid for her life after the death of Banat, Harhash told the Post: “Of course I’m afraid. I’m not the only one who’s afraid. There are several other activists and journalists who are very worried. There is no difference between those who torched my car and those who killed Nizar Banat. They want to silence us; they want to intimidate us. The killing of Banat was aimed at sending a warning to people like me that we must keep our mouths shut in the face of this US-backed corrupt, totalitarian and criminal regime.”
Still the death of Banat has not gone unnoticed on the International stage on in the eyes of the Biden administration.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price said, "WWe urge the Palestinian Authority to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation and to ensure full accountability in this case.
"We have serious concerns about Palestinian Authority restrictions on the exercise of freedom of expression by Palestinians and harassment of civil society activists and organizations," he added.
The European Union's representative office to the Palestinian Authority tweeted, "Shocked and saddened by the death of activist and former legislative candidate Nizar Banat … Full, independent, and transparent investigation should be conducted immediately."
United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland tweeted, "Alarmed & saddened by the death of activist, former parliamentary candidate, Nizar Banat.. I call for a swift, independent & transparent investigation. Perpetrators must be brought to justice."
Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.