The head of Israel's Communist party, Muhammad Barakeh, is facing two indictments for obstructing and assaulting police officers in four separate incidents from 2005, 2006 and 2007.
As of Tuesday morning, Attorney General Menachem Mazuz confirmed that he intends to proceed with charges against Knesset Member Barakeh of the predominantly anti-Zionist Hadash party for events that took place during a demonstration in Nazareth in July 2007. At the time, Defense Minister Ehud Barak had arrived in the city to attend a Labor party function that was being protested by Arab families whose sons were shot during rioting in northern Israel in 2000.
According to the planned indictment, Barakeh confronted senior police who were in the process of arresting a protester for unruly conduct. The MK allegedly interfered with the arrest and upbraided the local station commander.
Barakeh is likely to face similar charges over his behavior at three separate previous demonstrations. In 2006, at a protest in Tel Aviv against the Second Lebanon War, the Hadash chairman allegedly assaulted a police officer by slapping him. At another Tel Aviv protest that same year, Barakeh was accused of attacking a passerby who allegedly made an offensive comment to far-left anti-Zionist activist Uri Avneri. In the latter case, the MK may face assault and battery charges.
During a 2005 protest against the security barrier in the area of the village of Bil'in, east of Modi'in, MK Barakeh allegedly attacked an officer of the Prison Service's elite Masada unit. Barakeh was apparently attempting to prevent the transfer of an arrested protester who was being put into a police cruiser.
MK Barakeh is entitled to a hearing before any indictments are formally filed. Thus far, he has claimed that the charges against him stem from anti-Arab racism, while Mazuz may yet add to list of alleged offenses. The Attorney General is examining the option of adding the crimes of insulting a public servant and issuing threats to the indictments.