After Hamas' October 7 terror attacks, Israeli authorities clamped down on protests criticizing Israel's military response in Gaza. DW met up with human rights lawyer Ahmad Khalefa, who was arrested at a protest and charged with "incitement to terrorism."

Haifa

Israeli lawyer Ahmad Khalifa is currently under house arrest in Haifa, after spending 114 days in prison, facing charges of "incitement to terrorism" following his arrest at a protest. Khalifa, a human rights lawyer, was involved in a demonstration criticizing Israel's military actions in Gaza, in response to the terror attacks by Hamas on October 7. The protest occurred in the town of Umm al-Fam, where Khalifa sought to support the people of Gaza, rather than Hamas itself, emphasizing the call for civil protest.

During the demonstration on October 19, Israeli authorities intervened, arresting numerous participants, including Khalifa. He described the arrest as an attempt to deter others, characterizing it as particularly harsh. Following his arrest, Khalifa alleges he was subjected to mistreatment in Megiddo and Gilboa prisons, including deprivation of sleep and food, along with physical abuse by guards. These experiences have led him to reconsider his views on the treatment of Palestinian prisoners and the credibility of their claims of mistreatment.

Throughout his ordeal, Khalifa has critiqued the approach of Israeli authorities, suggesting a departure from legal principles in the wake of the Hamas attacks. His stance is that the justice system operated on a binary ethic of allegiance, undermining the rule of law. Israeli official responses to Khalifa's claims include a denial of awareness by the Israel Prison Service and a statement from the Israel Police characterizing the protest as unauthorized and inciting violence. Khalifa maintains hope for acquittal and a restoration of his faith in the justice system, though his experiences have left a profound impact on his perspective.



Israeli lawyer faces incitement charges after Gaza protest

In a small apartment in Haifa, lawyer and activist Ahmad Khalifa is under house arrest. After spending 114 days in prison, it's an improvement, but Khalifa says he's still essentially a prisoner. If he steps outside the apartment with this electronic tag, the police will be alerted. They'll call him on this communication device, and if he doesn't answer, he could be held in violation and sent back to prison. The worst part for Khalifa is that the court ordered him to rent an apartment outside of his hometown where his children live and go to school. They can only come to visit on school holidays, like today. The only thing that we did is going in a demonstration, trying to support the people of Gaza that were under 12 days of heavy bombing. On October 19 last year, Khalifa helped lead a protest in the Israeli town of Umm al-Fam, where he's from. They chanted slogans in support of Gaza, he says, not Hamas. A video from that day shows him urging the crowd to remain civil. Soon after it began, heavily armed police intervened and started arresting people. Khalifa was one of those arrested. They wanted to teach the other people a lesson by us. That's why our arrest was so cruel. Khalifa was charged with incitement to terrorism and spent three and a half months in Megiddo and Gilboa prisons, where he alleges he was deprived of sleep and food and was beaten by guards. As a lawyer who has defended Palestinian prisoners, the experience was eye-opening. I used to think that when they say physical torture, the people exaggerate because they want to get out from jail, you know? But the stuff that we saw there is amazing. Like, it's real horrors. Khalifa claims that in the weeks after the October 7 Hamas terror attacks, Israel's justice system abandoned the rule of law. It's like, if you're not with us, you're against us. That's the thing. And they said it to me clearly in my investigations. And it's things that make you think again about everything that you learn, about the whole law system, you know? In one night, there was no law, no police, no authorities, and everything changed. I put Khalifa's claims to Israeli authorities. The Israel Prison Service sent me this response. We are not aware of the claims you described. Nonetheless, prisoners and detainees have the right to file a complaint that will be fully examined and addressed by official authorities. The Israel police wrote, the individual in question participated in an unauthorized march characterized by incitement where he assumed a leadership role. The Israel police will continue working diligently to protect our citizens and will not tolerate individuals endangering public safety through incitement to violence or support of terror. Khalifa is hopeful that the Israeli courts will acquit him once legal proceedings wrap up. His life will eventually return to normal, he says, but his faith in the justice system has been shaken to the core.

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