The Chronicle: Israel Detains Professor From U. of Akron but Doesn’t Say Why
A geography professor at the University of Akron, in Ohio, has been under arrest in Israel since July 8 and has, to date, been unable to see his lawyer or contact his family.
The scholar, Ghazi Falah, who is 53, recently earned tenure in Akron’s department of geography and planning.
Mr. Falah’s son, Naail, said that Mr. Falah set out for Israel on July 4 from Toronto after hearing that his mother had been hospitalized with a brain tumor. The following Saturday, security personnel arrested Mr. Falah just north of the coastal city of Nahariyya, near the Lebanese border, where he was taking photographs.
Last Wednesday, Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas attacked an Israeli force patrolling the Lebanese border, capturing two soldiers and killing eight others. Hezbollah responded to Israeli reprisals by launching a huge rocket attack against Israel’s north. Nahariyya has been hit repeatedly by Hezbollah missiles.
Mr. Falah, an Arab who holds dual Israeli and Canadian citizenship, was taken to his brother’s home, near Nazareth, to collect his belongings, Naail Falah said. He was later brought before a judge in Akko, who approved the security forces’ request to detain him without charge.
According to Israeli law, people suspected of security violations may, with court approval, be held without charge for 20 days, and such detention orders may be renewed by the court.
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