The High Court of Justice last Friday overruled the appeal by two East Jerusalem newspapers of the order to close them down. The daily Al-Mithak and the periodical Al-Ahd had petitioned the court to rescind the closure order by the Interior Ministry which claimed that the publications were promoting anti-Israel views. This was denied by the owners of the two publications.
However, the court was convinced by classified information supplied by the Shin Bet that the papers were “financed and directed” by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a terrorist group headed by Dr. George Habash. Therefore, the court ruled, the security of the state necessitated closing the papers.
The court rejected the argument by Elias Khouri, the lawyer representing the papers, that even if the publications served the Palestinian organizations, they should be judged by their content, not by their ownership.
The judges ruled that it was unacceptable for a state to allow terrorist organizations which aim to destroy it to run “legitimate business” in its territory, just as it is unacceptable that a sovereign state would allow a criminal organization to run a “legitimate business.”
The last edition of Al Mithak came out last Friday. The printing plant will continue to function as usual.
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