The Palestinian Minister of Labor, Nasri Abu Jaish, who earlier announced his resignation after the death of a human rights activist, said that he would eventually remain in his position.
The political party, of which Abu Jaish is the sole representative in the Palestinian government, announced, at the end of June, its intention to withdraw from the government team “because of the government’s failure to respect laws and public freedoms.”
The announcement of the party’s intention to withdraw from the government came at a time when protests erupted in several areas of the West Bank following the death of human rights activist, Nizar Banat, while he was being held by the Palestinian Authority.
But Abu Jaish said in a statement that the Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohammad Shtayyeh, refused his resignation twice and left him with no choice but to “continue in the Palestinian government as Minister of Labor.”
The Palestinian Authority announced the opening of an investigation into the death of girls, on June 24, at the age of 43, but protests have continued since then and protesters are calling for President Mahmoud Abbas, especially to leave the authority.
Banat’s family spoke of his “assassination” because of his critical position on the Palestinian Authority . Banat was one of the fiercest critics of the authority and its president, Abbas, on social media, and about two months ago, he announced that his house had been shot at by unknown assailants.
“We will remain in the street until justice is done,” said a demonstrator called Maher al-Akhras, who was present Sunday in Ramallah, in front of the Palestinian Authority headquarters, along with hundreds of other demonstrators.
He accused the Palestinian Authority of “killing Nizar Banat and assaulting demonstrators.”
Banat was a candidate for the Legislative Council in the elections that were supposed to take place in May for the independent “Freedom and Dignity” list, but Abbas, 86, postponed it indefinitely.
Another demonstrator, Omar Assaf, said: “We have the right to elections, the right to elect our representatives and the right to elect a president,” stressing the need to “rebuild the entire Palestinian political system.”
