🤥 Palestinian citizens of Israel are not protesting ongoing events.

Since October 7, Israeli authorities launched a widespread arrest operation, specifically targeting Palestinian citizens of Israel who demonstrate solidarity with Palestinians in the occupied territories and voice criticism of Israeli actions in Gaza and the West Bank. Israeli Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai characterized these expressions as “incitement against the state and its symbols,” asserting a policy of “zero tolerance.” Shabtai issued a stern warning, stating, “Whoever wants to identify with Gaza… I will put them on a bus headed there.”

In addition to a crackdown by the authorities, Palestinian citizens are facing growing demonization, violence and intimidation by Jewish Israelis. On October 30th, a belligerent mob attempted to break into the dormitories of approximately 50 Arab students at Netanya Academic College, chanting “Death to Arabs” and “Go back to Gaza.” Remarkably, it took the police hours to intervene, only eventually rescuing the students with help from volunteers.

Palestinian citizens of Israel have been facing a wave of crackdowns and persecution by Israeli authorities for any criticism of ongoing events. In October, Reuters reported that “civil rights lawyers say Israeli authorities are interpreting any expressions of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza as incitement.” As of November 13th, Palestinian-Israeli human rights organization Adalah reported that they had tracked 251 cases of “arrests, interrogations and warning talks,” adding that this was only a subset of cases as they “cannot monitor all cases due to the scores of arrests, and individuals’ reluctance to report cases due to fear of negative repercussions.” On January 8th, 2024, +972 Magazine reported that “Hundreds have been arrested or interrogated, usually on the basis of social media activity; dozens more have been suspended or dismissed from Israeli academic institutions; and a recent amendment to Israel’s Counterterrorism Law is enabling unprecedented levels of surveillance.”

+ 972 Magazine reports that there has been an alarming rise in the use of “administrative detention” – normally a tool reserved for arbitrarily arresting Palestinians in the Occupied Territories without charge or legal proceedings under military rule – against Palestinian citizens of Israel. Before October 7, there had only been 4 known cases of administrative detention being used against Palestinian citizens of Israel; since October 7 there have been seven cases.