WASHINGTON: The Israeli leader of an Arab-nationalist political party is under investigation, but an Israeli magistrate has put a ban on detailing in the Israeli media just what charges he faces.

Azmi Bishara, an Arab-Israeli member of the Knesset and leader of the Balad party, was outside of Israel when news of the probe was leaked and he has not stated when or if he intends to return.

The investigation — which allegedly hinges on serious security infractions — and the secrecy surrounding it have resulted in an ethnic and political malaise.

Ma’an, an independent Palestinian news service, offered explicit and seemingly reliable information suggesting that Bishara is under investigation for receiving five million dollars passed to him by two money changers in Jerusalem and for communicating with Hezbollah representatives during the war in Lebanon.

Hebrew and Arabic language Israeli newspapers have given unprecedented coverage to the secret investigation and Bishara’s stated fear of arrest if he returns to Israel.

The mention of an investigation into security infractions by an Arab-Israeli politician has fanned existing tensions between Arab and Jewish Israelis after the Israeli-Lebanon war in August and September last year.

Jewish-Israelis have expressed increasing fear of Arab radicalisation within Israel and Arab-Israelis have grown concerned about a possible crackdown on their freedom of speech.

Some Arab-Israelis have claimed that the investigation into Bishara is an attempt by the government to silence voices of opposition to Israeli policies, while Jewish-Israelis have taken the news as confirmation of suspicions some may hold about the Arab communities in Israel.

“There has been a tendency in right-wing Jewish circles to regard political dissent as a threat to Israel’s national security,” Philip Wilcox, president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace and former US Consul General in Jerusalem, told in an interview.

Before the investigation was leaked, rumours were emerging that Bishara might be about to resign, but Bishara’s party has denied such stories.

Bishara has remained largely silent since news of the investigation emerged, remaining in Amman, Jordan, claiming to be promoting his new book.

Born to Palestinian Christian parents in Nazareth, Bishara has served in the Knesset since 1996 and in 1999 became the first Arab citizen of Israel to run for prime minister.

“My sense is that based on his past performance he’s stayed away from any violence and criminal activity,” said Wilcox.

Bishara has generally received favourable treatment by the international Arab media, leading some to speculate that he might be a possible future president of Palestine.

His party has hit back against the security services, saying that the Israeli government was persecuting the party because of its opposition to Israeli military actions against Lebanon and that, “This will not shake Balad from its beliefs, including those of a ‘nation for all its citizens’,” said an April 9 statement.

Internet news sites have published a continuous stream of rumours regarding whether Bishara will resign, the status of the investigation and whether Bishara intends to return to Israel.

The controversy around Bishara comes as recent statements from Israeli officials have expressed deep mistrust of Arab-Israelis.

Bishara is seen by many moderates as a valuable voice because he acknowledges both the importance of the Holocaust and the injustice of Israeli occupation of Palestinian land.—Dawn/The IPS News Service