A masked police force stormed the Communist Party headquarters in Umm al-Fahm, conducted a search of the premises without a warrant, and illegally confiscated Palestinian flags.
Communist Party of Israel office raided by police
On the evening of May 1st, Hadash MK Ofer Cassif urgently appealed to Attorney General Gali Bahrav-Meara, demanding an investigation.
Ofer Cassif stressed that “the mere act of storming the headquarters of a legal party on the eve of a legal protest demonstration greatly infringes on freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. In addition, the confiscation of Palestinian flags is an arbitrary measure without any legal basis, given that displaying this flag is entirely legal according to the instructions of the Attorney General herself.”
Cassif noted: “All of this paints a grim picture of the complete politicization of the police force, which, instead of being a state authority that applies the law equally, has become an arm of the regime to suppress and persecute opposition forces. There is a serious fear that this is not an isolated incident, but rather a systematic persecution that may escalate in the coming months, seriously affecting the integrity of the Knesset elections.”
Cassif called for an examination of the police's work in the field and the extent of the involvement of its leadership and decision-making circles in the police and the so-called Ministry of Internal Security, and the publication of clear directives to the police to refrain from carrying out any similar action against the Communist Party (or any other opposition party) in the future, especially with the approach of the upcoming elections, in order to protect its freedom and integrity.