Palestinian Authority police prevent an end-of Ramadan prayer service by supporter of the Hizb-ut Tahrir in Hebron, June 4, 201. (photo credit: MUSSA QAWASMA / REUTERS)
X ![]()
Dear Reader,
As you can imagine, more people are reading The Jerusalem Post than ever before. Nevertheless, traditional business models are no longer sustainable and high-quality publications, like ours, are being forced to look for new ways to keep going. Unlike many other news organizations, we have not put up a paywall. We want to keep our journalism open and accessible and be able to keep providing you with news and analysis from the frontlines of Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World.
As one of our loyal readers, we ask you to be our partner.
For $5 a month you will receive access to the following:
- A user experience almost completely free of ads
- Access to our Premium Section
- Content from the award-winning Jerusalem Report and our monthly magazine to learn Hebrew – Ivrit
- A brand new ePaper featuring the daily newspaper as it appears in print in Israel
Help us grow and continue telling Israel’s story to the world.
Thank you,
Ronit Hasin-Hochman, CEO, Jerusalem Post Group
Yaakov Katz, Editor-in-Chief
UPGRADE YOUR JPOST EXPERIENCE FOR 5$ PER MONTH Show me later
Palestinian Authority security forces on Friday arrested a Palestinian businessman who participated in last week’s US-led economic workshop in Bahrain.
The PA and several Palestinian factions had called on Palestinians and Arabs to boycott the workshop on the pretext that it was part of the US administration’s scheme to “liquidate the Palestinian cause.”
Palestinian sources identified the businessman as Saleh Abu Mayaleh from Hebron. They said he was arrested by the PA General Intelligence Service, headed by Gen. Majed Faraj.
Ashraf Jabari, another businessman from Hebron who attended the workshop, told The Jerusalem Post that Abu Mayaleh, 49, was arrested around from his home in Hebron on Friday night. He said that he and other Palestinians who attended the workshop returned home on Thursday night.
Jabari said that the PA security forces also raided the homes of three other Palestinian businessmen in the city in an attempt to arrest them.
“The Palestinian security forces did not find them,” Jabari said. “They searched their homes and confiscated security cameras and documents. They told the families of the businessmen that they are wanted for participating in the Bahrain workshop.”
Sources in Hebron said that PA intelligence officers raided and searched the home of Ashraf Ghanmen, one of the businessmen who travelled to Bahrain. Ghanem fled his home shortly before the officers arrived, the sources said.
Jabari expressed concern over the safety of Abu Mayaleh, a cancer patient with serious health issues.
He said that Abu Mayaleh was one of 15 Palestinian businessmen who participated in the workshop in Manama, Bahrain. The other members of the delegation are from east Jerusalem and Bethlehem, he added.
Jabari, who lives in the Israeli-controlled part of Hebron, strongly condemned the arrest of Abu Mayaleh, saying it “exposed the true face” of the PA leadership.
“The Palestinian Authority does not want peace,” he told the Post. “We participated in the conference after receiving personal invitations. We did not go there as representatives of the Palestinian Authority or the people.”
He said that he and his friends were in touch with the US administration and international human rights organizations concerning the PA crackdown.
In early June, Abu Mayaleh, denied that he was planning to attend the Bahrain workshop. He also denied that he was the owner of a shoe factory that does business with the IDF.
In a statement, Abu Mayaleh said that he owns a cement factory, but claimed that his business was confiscated by the Israeli authorities in 2018.
Despite the denial, Abu Mayaleh was persuaded by Jabari to join the Palestinian delegation to Bahrain.
Last week, Palestinian social media users published the names of Jabari and several Palestinian businessmen who traveled to Bahrain, dubbing them “traitors” and urging the PA to immediately arrest them.
Jabari, 45, who went to the Bahrain conference as a representative of the Judea and Samaria Chamber of Commerce, said he and his friends were not afraid of the PA.
The Bahrain workshop was a “big success and that’s why [PA President Mahmoud] Abbas is very worried,” Jabari said.
“Of course, we’re not afraid. We’re afraid only of God, and we are capable of defending ourselves. The Palestinian Authority’s measures against us are illegal. Palestinian law does not ban anyone from attending a conference. This was a personal invitation to many people and we were not involved in political activities. The Palestinian Authority’s actions show that we don’t have democracy. Even if we belong to the opposition, there’s no reason why we should be arrested. In Israel, the prime minister consults with the leader of the opposition on sensitive issues. Mahmoud Abbas, on the other hand, orders the arrest of anyone who disagrees with him.”
Join Jerusalem Post Premium Plus now for just $5 and upgrade your experience with an ads-free website and exclusive content. Click here>>
Comments are closed.