RAMALLAH, January 5, 2026 (WAFA) – The Palestinian Prisoner's Society (PPS) stated that Israeli occupation authorities are continuing to expand the scope of what they term "incitement." They are transforming it from a mere allegation used in specific arrest cases into a broader instrument of control, surveillance, and persecution. Through this, they target individuals, institutions, and the spaces where Palestinian consciousness is shaped—particularly regarding issues concerning prisoners, martyrs, national symbols, and collective memory.
In a statement issued today, Monday, the Society highlighted a prominent example: the recent arrest of a school principal in Al-Eizariya. Following her arrest, a video was released portraying the presence of posters inside the school—and the curriculum taught to students—as evidence of what the occupation labeled "incitement" and "terrorist education." This reflects an escalating trend of subjecting the educational environment itself to persecution, attempting to turn the presence of the Palestinian cause within schools—whether through educational materials, symbols, or expressions of national issues—into grounds for criminalization and arrest.
The Prisoners' Society noted that the danger of this practice lies not merely in arrests based on a specific post or stance, but in the expansion of the definition of "incitement." This renders the boundaries of permissible versus impermissible expression for Palestinians ambiguous and subject to change at the occupation's discretion. Thus, the charge itself transforms into a tool for generating a persistent state of surveillance and fear; its impact is not limited to the detainee but extends to the entire social fabric, compelling individuals and institutions to police their own speech, practices, and the content they impart to new generations.
Since the onset of the genocide, arrests based on the occupation’s allegations of "incitement" have surged noticeably. These arrests have targeted ordinary citizens, released prisoners, students, women, and children, as well as individuals singled out for social media posts, expressions, or stances related to ongoing events. These campaigns have been accompanied by direct threats warning citizens that any expression or behavior the occupation might label as "incitement" could lead to arrest. This has widened the scope of fear and surveillance, rendering the expression of political or national views grounds for prosecution.
The PPS noted that this manner of invoking "incitement" reveals a targeting strategy that extends beyond individuals to the very spheres where Palestinian consciousness is shaped and where collective memory is preserved and transmitted across generations. Schools, universities, cultural and media institutions, and even public spaces are thus transformed into targets—not merely because of the activities occurring within them, but because of their capacity to keep national causes alive in the collective consciousness. He went on to address the demolition today of a memorial monument dedicated to martyrs within Birzeit University. He argued that targeting such symbols—alongside persecution based on allegations of so-called "incitement"—falls within a broader context of attempts to undermine the presence of Palestinian memory and its symbols, and to restrict the spaces where the national narrative is reclaimed and expressed.
The PPS emphasized that the targeting of consciousness does not occur solely through arrest, but rather through an integrated system of measures—including persecution, threats, interrogation, physical assault, and the imposition of sanctions and fines—that creates an environment of constant surveillance. In this context, "incitement" ceases to be merely a charge used to justify a security measure; instead, it becomes a tool for controlling the public sphere and dictating what Palestinians may say, teach, publish, or remember. This, in turn, shapes the realm in which national consciousness is formed, particularly among younger generations.
It stressed that this systematic use of the concept of "incitement" must be viewed in its broader context as part of policies targeting Palestinians—as individuals, institutions, and a society—and their collective memory, effectively turning the expression of national causes into grounds for persecution. Consequently, confronting this policy requires not only rejecting the resulting arrests but also challenging the entire system of surveillance and criminalization being imposed on Palestinian society, and refusing to allow consciousness, memory, and the expression of national rights to be treated as punishable acts.
K.T
