The Arab Center for Agricultural Development (ACAD) - Board of Directors and employees - condemns the arbitrary and unjustified arrest of ACAD’s Board of Directors’ Chairman and the acting General Director of Qatar Charity Engineer Joudeh Deeb Al-Jamal by the Israeli occupation authorities on last Monday 7 September 2015 early morning from his home located in Beit Hanina, Jerusalem. Meanwhile, the Israeli forces arrested Qatar Charity’s financial director and general accountant from their homes in Ramallah.

The brutal and unjustified arrest was accompanied with intimidation and terror for Joudeh’s wife and children who were present at home. Moreover, the perpetrators seized the personal belongings of Joudeh. It is worth to note that a large number of the Israeli soldiers, who were masked, raided Joudeh’s home. When Joudeh’s family asked the soldiers to show the inspection and arrest orders, they mocked at them saying that the procedure, which is legal in all the international norms is cancelled from their dictionary and that they were using it “only in Hebron”.

ACAD also denounces the military prosecution representative’s request in the extension session held yesterday in Ofar military court to extend the detention of Joudeh for another 15 days, claiming the existence of confidential files that need further investigation.

While ACAD condemns the atmosphere of horror that the Zionist military occupation authorities tries to impose on the Palestinian people, it also condemns the arrest of peaceful citizens from their homes, which is against all international norms that demand the occupation authorities to ensure security and protection for citizens under occupation, the matter that Israel denies. Meanwhile, ACAD condemns the violation of the Palestinian cities’ protection and rights of their peaceful citizens and demand Israel to immediately release ACAD’s Board of Directors’ Chairman Joudeh Al-Jamal and his colleagues at Qatar Charity. It also calls on the international community and the international organizations operating in Palestine to put pressure on Israel and use permissible international humanitarian laws to end the arbitrary arrests by the Israeli authorities of the Palestinian citizens under occupation. It also calls upon them to ensure the required protection for them in the face of the Zionist arrogance and recklessness.

ACAD also calls on the Palestinian civil and official organizations to come together to defend the Palestinian people, land, and cities as well as Palestinian organizations, national gains and legitimate rights.

ACAD Board of Directors.