West Bank: A Moroccan PAM parliamentarian causes protest movement

The Israeli authorities have banned a Moroccan parliamentary opposition party, Authenticity and Modernity (PAM) member , Mehdi Bensaid from entering Ramallah on the West Bank, to take part in discussions with a delegation of the Subcommittee on the Middle East in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) with Palestinian officials.

Earlier in the day, Israeli authorities had banned the member of Authenticity and Modernity party (PAM) in the House of Representatives together with the President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Councillors, Ali Salem Chekkaf, who are both members sub-committee of the PDAC from entering Ramallah to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Foreign Minister, on the pretext that they did not follow procedure.

Bensaid said he observed the sit-in protest against the interference of the Israeli authorities in a matter within the jurisdiction of two countries, namely Jordan and Palestine.

He pointed out that Jordanian parliamentarians have decided to support it, while on the other side of the bridge, deputies and Palestinian citizens organised a protest in solidarity with him.

On Sunday,the Palestinian President in Ramallah had received the members of the Subcommittee on the Middle East at the PACE who were allowed to return to the Palestinian territories.

A delegation of the Subcommittee on the Middle East in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, led by Senator French Josette Durrieu, began a visit on Saturday to the region to discuss, among other things, the Syrian crisis and the peace process.

Morocco is a member of the Subcommittee on the Middle East at PACE in its capacity as "Partner for democracy" in the European assembly.