Mizan: The Arab Community Pays the Heaviest Price

The Israeli Knesset, in a session held early Tuesday (December 24, 2024), approved the extension of the state of emergency in the country until December 2025, in response to a government request and based on a recommendation from the Security and Constitution Committee. This decision grants the government exceptional powers that override Knesset legislation, ensuring the continued implementation of emergency regulations throughout the designated period.

The decision was passed with a majority of 29 Knesset members in favor, 7 opposing, and 2 abstentions, as per Article 38 of the Basic Law: The Government, and Article 69 of the Knesset’s procedural regulations.

Commenting on the extension, Attorney Omar Khamaisi, Director of Mizan for Human Rights in Nazareth, described the move as an additional reinforcement of restrictions on public freedoms, emphasizing that the Arab community within Israel is the most affected by its repercussions. He asserted that this extension aligns with governmental policies that exploit the “state of war” as a pretext to expand security powers at the expense of individual and collective freedoms, exacerbating pressures on the Arab community.

Khamaisi added that the recent period has witnessed a noticeable increase in administrative detention orders, alongside hundreds of investigations and arrests related to freedom of expression. He likened these measures to the realities of past military rule, where freedoms are significantly curtailed, leaving the Arab community as the weakest link bearing the brunt of these policies without effective resistance.

He also pointed to the role of Israeli courts in perpetuating this situation, noting that the judiciary invokes the state of emergency as a justification for its decisions in cases such as administrative detentions and issues related to freedom of expression. Khamaisi emphasized that the lack of judicial oversight provides the government with greater latitude to implement exceptional measures without accountability.

The attorney further stressed that the continuation of the state of emergency means extending the validity of exceptional decisions made since the beginning of the war, highlighting that the Israeli government prioritizes security over individual freedoms and freedom of the press, even if this necessitates imposing additional restrictions.

It is worth noting that the state of emergency was first declared on October 7, 2023, following the surprise attack launched by Hamas as part of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation.

In this context, it seems that the Israeli government is determined to leverage the state of emergency to consolidate its security policies, while the Arab community bears the greatest cost of these measures at the expense of their fundamental freedoms and rights.