Police arrest PFLP parliamentary candidate in East Jerusalem

Abed Lafif Shehade is number 10 on the PFLP parliamentary list and heads the group's Jerusalem headquarters. Police also detained six other party officials in the conference, charging that the group was banned from campaigning in the city.

Earlier this week, police raided the offices of the left-wing party Fida and held five people for questioning. Police also raided Hamas election campaign headquarters and arrested three of the organization's parliamentary candidates as they were holding a press conference near Temple Mount.

Israel had threatened to bar Palestinian candidates from campaigning in East Jerusalem for the January 25 parliamentary elections. On Sunday, the cabinet said it would allow limited voting in the disputed city, but would not allow Palestinian militant groups, such as Hamas and the PFLP, to participate.

As the PFLP officials prepared to launch their campaign at the East Jerusalem hotel, plainclothes police walked in and arrested the seven party officials. Those that resisted were removed by force, said Jerusalem police spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/671923.html