A prominent Palestinian-American activist was forcibly removed from a Florida budget hearing after protesting the county’s significant investments in Israeli bonds. Authorities intervened as she and others attempted to address the issue during a public commission meeting, where speaking time was reportedly restricted. The incident highlights tensions over municipal financial ties to Israeli securities, with the county’s holdings described as the largest of their kind by a U.S. government entity. Legal scholar and human rights lawyer Noura Erakat was among those detained during the disruption.
Noura Erakat says a Florida mayor shortened speaking time and banned discussion of investment in Israeli bondsThe human rights lawyer Noura Erakat was arrested on Tuesday at a Palm Beach county, Florida, budget hearing about the county’s more than $1bn investments in Israeli bonds.Erakat, a prominent Palestinian-American activist, legal scholar and Guardian contributor, was one of several people in attendance at the public commission hearing who were forcibly removed by local law enforcement. The removal happened when the group attempted to speak out against the county’s investment in the bonds – the largest by a municipal government. Continue reading...
