Skip to main content
Live Blog Update| Israel's genocide in Gaza

Israeli lawmaker calls for B'Tselem chief to be arrested for 'assisting the enemy'

An Israeli lawmaker has written a letter to the head of the police calling for the detention and interrogation of the director of Israeli human rights group B'Tselem, following a speech she made at the United Nations Security Council earlier this week.

Tally Gotliv, a member of Israel's parliament, penned the letter to Israeli Chief Police Commissioner Daniel Levy on Thursday, calling for Yuli Novak, B'Tselem's executive director, to be questioned. 

On Wednesday, Novak told the UN Security Council via video link that Israel had pursued a goal of "Jewish supremacy" over the past 11 months, since its war on Gaza began following the 7 October Hamas-led attacks. 

The surprise attack by Palestinian fighters on southern Israeli communities in October killed more than 1,000 Israelis, and dozens of foreigners. Around 250 others were taken captive back to Gaza.

Since then, Israeli forces have killed more than 40,000 Palestinians in the enclave, the majority of whom are women and children. 

Read more: Israeli lawmaker calls for B'Tselem chief to be arrested for 'assisting the enemy'

Israeli human rights activist Yuli Novak attends a press conference on 5 February 2016 in Tel Aviv, Israel (AFP/Jack Guez)