Palestinian lawyers say no to Israeli counterparts

The Palestinian Bar Association (PAB) in Palestine warned its members against taking part in any Israeli activities sponsored by Israeli lawyers. The warning followed reports that the Israeli Bar Association is planning to launch joint ventures along with Palestinian and Jordanian lawyers.

Those ventures include joint media and legal activities.

In an internal memorandum to its members, the Palestinian body warned it would take punitive measures against those who breach the general guidance of their union. Explaining the reason for their decision, PAB head Abdul Rahman Abu Al Nasser said the Israeli lawyers, as a whole, never adopted strong positions against the oppression by their government in the Occupied Territories.

He added that the Palestinian union is part of the Arab Attorneys Union, which has a clear position against normalization while the current Israeli policies are in effect. Palestinian lawyers on personal levels maintain close relations with a number of Israeli lawyers who have not only expressed identification with the Palestinian struggle but even took up cases in defense of Palestinian prisoners suspected of security offenses against Israel.