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The Palestinian Authority has arrested a Palestinian businessman who attended the US-led economic conference in Bahrain this week, Israel’s Haaretz newspaper and Kan public broadcaster reported on Saturday.
The businessman was identified as Salah Abu Miala from the Palestinian city of Hebron , in the occupied West Bank . Kan and Haaretz said he was arrested overnight between Friday and Saturday.
“Salah attended a wedding party for a family member yesterday and then he disappeared. We haven’t seen him since, the man’s brother, who asked not to be identified, told Reuters . He said that police forces had not shown up at Abu Miala’s home.
The Palestinian Authority’s security service did not respond to requests for comment, but Palestinian businessman Ashraf Jabari, who attended the conference in Manama, said by phone: “Salah’s son spoke to me by phone and he told me his father was arrested.”
A phone call from Reuters to Abu Miala’s mobile phone was answered by the same son, who said his father could not come to the phone.
National Demonstration for PalestineShow all 57 1 /57National Demonstration for Palestine National Demonstration for Palestine Protest icon, Ahed Tamimi meets supporters of the Palestine cause at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
Marie Berry
National Demonstration for Palestine Rapper and activist Lowkey meet a supporter of the Palestine cause at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
Saskia Whitfield
National Demonstration for Palestine Dub poet Benjamin Zephaniah meets supporters of the Palestine cause at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
National Demonstration for Palestine Journalists report from the scene of the demonstration at Whitehall during the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Supporters of the Palestine cause pose for a picture at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Tariq Ali speaks to the crowd at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Diane Abbott at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Shamil Jorda from Friends of Al Aqsa (left) said it was important to advocate self determination for Palestine, however, he said "it is up to the Palestinian people to decide what solution they want ” and that the UK government needs to ensure it implements international law and abides by UN resolutions.
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National Demonstration for Palestine Supporters of the Palestine cause at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Protest icon Ahed Tamimi speaks to the media at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine MP Richard Bergen gives a speech at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Palestinian protest icon Ahed Tamimi gives a speech at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Palestinian protest icon Ahed Tamimi gives a speech at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi became a global sensation after she slapped an Israeli soldier at the West Bank last year. She is stood here next to Palestinian Ambassador to the UK Dr Husam Zomlot who introduced her to the crowd at the at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Protestors show solidarity for Palestine at at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi became a global sensation after she slapped an Israeli soldier at the West Bank last year. She is stood here next to Palestinian Ambassador to the UK Dr Husam Zomlot who introduced her to the crowd at the at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Palestinian Ambassador to the UK Dr Husam Zomlot speaks to the crowd at the at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Zita Holborn, national vice chairman of the Public and Commercial Services Union and chair of Black Activists Rising Against Cuts
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National Demonstration for Palestine Member of the media backstage at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Stewards back stage at the at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Ahed Tamimi with her father and supporters back stage at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine A supporter listens intently to a speech at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Supporters at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Supporters at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Supporters at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine A speaker at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Salma Yaqoob at Supporters at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019. She told The Independent the UK and US need to be “honest brokers” because its role “has been too one-sided.” She added: “First off, the UK can stop arms trading with Israel. There needs to be a social and political boycott of the state of Israel and people need to keep to the promises they made years ago. The UK needs to take a moral leadership in that, but instead, we’re seeing the very opposite.”
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National Demonstration for Palestine Ahed Tamimi with her father Bessem, back stage at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine A supporter at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Celtic Football Club supporters at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine An Indonesian family show their support at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Catherine Charrett, a lecturer at Queen Mary and Westfield College’s School of Politics and International Relations told The Independent it was crucial to bring an end to Israel’s apartheid system. She said: “You cannot continue to treat a population as if they’re targets of war to be used for military practice.
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National Demonstration for Palestine Supporters at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Supporters at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Supporters at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Supporters at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Supporters at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine A supporter at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Supporters at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
Anu Shukla/The Independent
National Demonstration for Palestine Supporters at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
Anu Shukla/The Independent
National Demonstration for Palestine Supporters at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Supporters at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
Anu Shukla/The Independent
National Demonstration for Palestine The crowd of protestors included members of ultra Orthodox Jewish community, the Haredi, who said they were there to show solidarity because they did not support the oppression of the Palestinian people.
Anu Shukla/The Independent
National Demonstration for Palestine The crowd of protestors included members of ultra Orthodox Jewish community, the Haredi, who said they were there to show solidarity because they did not support the oppression of the Palestinian people.
Anu Shukla/The Independent
National Demonstration for Palestine Supporters at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
Anu Shukla/The Independent
National Demonstration for Palestine Supporters at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
Anu Shukla/The Independent
National Demonstration for Palestine Supporters at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
Anu Shukla/The Independent
National Demonstration for Palestine Supporters at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
Anu Shukla/The Independent
National Demonstration for Palestine Supporters at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
Anu Shukla/The Independent
National Demonstration for Palestine Football Against Apartheid at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Supporters at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Flags and banners at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Flags and banners at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Supporters at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine Supporters at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
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National Demonstration for Palestine A speaker at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
Anu Shukla/The Independent
National Demonstration for Palestine Supporters at the National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday 11 May 2019
Anu Shukla/The Independent
A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas could not be reached for comment.
The handful of Palestinian businessmen who attended the Bahrain workshop have been branded as “collaborators” by some in the Palestinian leadership, which boycotted the conference.
A spokeswoman for the US embassy in Israel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Haaretz and Kan said that another Palestinian businessman who had attended Manama managed to evade arrest.
President Abbas’s Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) have refused to deal with the Trump administration for 18 months, accusing it of bias towards Israel.
Mr Trump’s team, headed by his senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, launched its $50bn (£39.4bn) economic outline for Israeli-Palestinian peace on Tuesday in Bahrain, saying the investment programme for the Palestinians would be followed by a political plan to end the decades-old conflict.
But their peace bid has been met with broad rejection among the Palestinians and the Arab world, mainly because the president has so far not embraced the Palestinian quest for statehood.
Egypt and Jordan, the only two Arab states that have peace agreements with Israel, attended the conference.
The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, who also attended, said they would not endorse a plan that fails to meet Palestinian core demands.
Reuters
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