Palestinians demonstrating against the death of regime critic Nizar Banat are advancing the agenda of Israel, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, a mouthpiece for the Palestinian Authority said Monday.
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Banat, a thorn in the side of PA President Mahmoud Abbas, died while in police custody following his arrest in Hebron on June 24, and was allegedly beaten to death.
In an editorial, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida asserted that protestors were "deceitful" and that their calls for justice over the Banat's alleged murder were "characterized by obscenity and lack of unity and national and moral values."
Protestors, who clashed with PA security and plain-clothes officers, chanted for Abbas to resign – despite him being "the head of the national struggle and constitutional legitimacy," the editorial said.
The PA lost legitimacy in the eyes of Palestinians since Abbas canceled Palestinian elections earlier in the year, and since Hamas fought a conflict with Israel in May – a stance that a majority says demonstrates that Hamas is the "deserving" representative of the Palestinian people.
Demonstrations against the PA "serve Israel and its aggressive racist goals," the editorial said.
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Following days of unrest after Banat's death, the PA asked Israel permission to important additional crowd control weapons, having depleted its reserves.
At the same time, a PA court in Ramallah ordered three Palestinian activists remanded in custody on charges of insulting Palestinian leaders, illegally demonstrating and fomenting sectarian strife.
i24NEWS contributed to this report.
