A public meeting between a Palestinian official and an Israeli politician, slated to take place Tuesday at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was canceled by the PA after the Palestinian official received death threats, the Hebrew University announces.
“The Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Truman Institute for Peace has been forced to cancel the public meeting today between Dr. Mahmoud al-Habbash, a senior aide to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, and Israeli Member of Knesset Ofer Shelah,” a university spokesman says in a statement. “This follows notification from Palestinian Authority officials that their highest security echelons had received information about threats to Dr. al-Habbash’s life.”
Palestinian Religious Endowments Minister Mahmoud Habbash (photo credit: Issam Rimawi/Flash90)
The spokesman says that the Truman Institute had faced pressure over the past week to cancel the meeting, but was ready to go ahead with it until the PA prevented al-Habbash’s participation. He says the university had been prepared to provide “the highest levels” of security for the event.
“We regret that dialogue was once again prevented, and that we who are engaged in the important work of advancing peace were not able to continue and carry out this important mandate,” says Prof. Menachem Blondheim, the director of the Truman Institute.
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