ONLY ITS ALLIANCE WITH ISRAEL KEEPS IT IN POWER:

Palestinian Authority leader, Mahmoud Abbas, does not tolerate any political thought that is divergent from his brand of corruption. While the murder of Palestinian activist, Nizar Banat, last year by the PA's security services was marked with prominence, the PA has persisted in persecuting Palestinian activists, university students and journalists, under the pretext of safety for Palestinian civilians. Abbas has, perhaps, conveniently wiped out the memory of Palestinians being beaten for protesting against his rule and the security services' murder of Banat. The only safety Abbas wants concerns his rule. It could be said that possibly the PA is funded only to exist as a buffer zone between Palestinian civilians and Israel's colonial expansion and violence, for Israel's benefit, of course.

In 2021, Lawyers for Justice recorded more than 340 arrests made by the PA. Between May and November last year, more than 200 Palestinians were arrested, based upon their political opinions.

In June this year, Israeli media reported that 14 security services officers on trial for Banat's murder have been released on bail, ostensibly due to the risk of a coronavirus spread in prison. The selective release, of course, fools nobody. Releasing officers who are clearly a threat to Palestinian civilians is of no concern to the PA, but rather a necessity.

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