An Israeli Druze, restricted to his village, lost an appeal to the Supreme Court today when it refused to order the ban lifted so that he could travel to Geneva to testify before the United Nations Human Rights Commission on the condition of Arabs in occupied territories.
Salman Natour, a Druze author, was ordered confined to his village of Daliyat Al Carmel, near Haifa, for a period of six months. The Administrative restriction, issued 10 days ago, was signed by the military commander of the northern region. Natour is secretary of the Committee of Solidarity With the “Arab People of the Golan.”
During the 40-day Israeli army blockade of Druze villages on the Golan Heights, lifted late last month, Natour transmitted information from the four villages involved in contravention of military orders. He is also a member of the Hadash Communist Party and of the Druze Initiative Committee which actively opposes the drafting of Israeli Draze into the armed forces.
The court gave no reason for rejecting Natour’s appeal, but issued an order giving the military authorities II days to show cause why the restriction on Natour should not be lifted.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
