A member of the Free Ameer Makhoul Facebook group, Disk Missing, did a cracker-jack piece of research and noted that Israeli Palestinian anti-Wall activist, Jamal Juma’a, was arrested last December and imprisoned for several weeks. Machsom Watch observed his legal hearings and characterized the evidence (such as it was) thus:
The defendant is charged with links to a hostile organization and with providing services, allegedly in October 2007. The incident in question took place in Jordan and involved a third person who implicated Jumaa. The claim is that the defendant met with a certain Hassan Jaja who tried to recruit him to the Hizbullah. Since the defendant’s computer contains a correspondence with Hassan Jaja, lasting until 2009, he is charged with links to the organization.
Given that Machsom Watch was transcribing oral arguments and may’ve written the name ‘Jaja’ as the transcriber heard it, Disk Missing thinks it’s very likely that this could be the same Hassan Jaja whom the security services have dusted off as a “Hezbollah agent” in an attempt to implicate Makhoul and Said. Well, well, well. All I can say if this is true is that it proves even more convincingly that the Shin Bet has nothing on the current victims. And it all gets so old, so fast. The agency recycles the same ploys, the same charges, the same scenarios over and over again never achieving the effect they desire of criminalizing Palestinian nationalism and breaking the movement.
Hassan Jaja founded a Jordanian NGO whose mission is to repair environmental damage from Israel’s invasions of Lebanon and Gaza. According to a political statement he signed sponsored by the Lebanese civil society movement, he supports non-interference in the affairs of Lebanon, where he now lives. Doesn’t sound like a position supported by Hezbollah, which is heavily supported by Syria. Rechavia Berman has done further online research and discovers some of Jaja’s other interests are gardening, food independence, and Arab traditional medicine. For God’s sake, the guy likes growing food and collecting herbs. All I can say to the S.B. is: is that all you’ve got??
I note that Juma’a was released from detention after several weeks under arrest. No charges were ever filed. What do you think the odds will be of a similar outcome in this case?
Another interesting piece of evidence in the Machsom Watch report is that the S.B. apparently has an informant who it claims is cooperating with it in implicating Juma’a. It could be true or it could be a ploy to sow mistrust among the Israeli Palestinian activist community.
I’ts definitely the same man. His family name in Arabic is written the same as the Christian Lebanese politician Samir Geagea:
ג’עג’ע
جعجع
Ja’ja’ (rendering both ‘ayns) is a better transcription; but yes, Miki is right.
And Richard, keep up the good work.
In fact, according to the site to which Richard links, Jamal Juma’a was released on January 12, 2010. It should be noted that he was released despite being tried in a military court in the West Bank — a court of a kind that is often prone to swallow the allegations of the military prosecution and rubber-stamp their indictments. Apparently contacts with Hasan Ja’ja’ were not enough even for a court like this. Therefore, I doubt that anyone in his senses would press the same allegations against Makhoul and Sa’id, who will have to be tried in a civilian court in Israel. Thus, I think that one has to accout for the possibility that the leak of Ja’ja’s name as the contact person of Makhoul and Sa’id is a king of false flag thrown up by the Shabak to distract the public opinion from whatever else they may have against the two. Manipulating the press (and the blogosphere) isn’t difficult when you hold all the evidence or when you are the one who defines what evidence is.
I’m not sure this is what’s happening. But it’s a possibility one has to be aware of.
Rechavia (who is covering this story at his Hebrew site) & I are aware of this. Pointedly, the Haaretz story noted that there were other “forbidden contacts” Makhoul & Said are alleged to have had. So Geagea may be a bit of meat they’re throwing our way to distract us. But who can they bring out? A Hezbollah version of the Green Prince?? Nasrallah’s cousin? It just doesn’t seem plausible. Plus, I don’t think these guys have that level of sophisitication in these types of investigations. Their MO is more pull out all the stops, hit ’em w. all ya got…I don’t see much ability for subtlety.
But who knows, maybe they’ll surprise us.
It is worth noting that Jaja connecting with Said seems highly plausible – as they both have common interests (Arab traditional medicine).