Prolific Palestinian-American journalist and Electronic Intifada founder Ali Abunimah was arrested by plain-clothed police and later deported from Switzerland, while convicted Israeli war criminals visit the European continent freely. This comes as part of a wider trend that has seen Western nations crack down on pro-Palestine activists and journalists.

Abunimah was detained by plainclothes police officers on the streets of Zurich, subjected to two days of interrogation, and held in detention before his deportation. The arrest drew sharp criticism from United Nations experts, who warned that “the climate surrounding freedom of speech in Europe is becoming increasingly toxic.”

Ali Abunimah – arguably the leading long-standing American educator on the occupation of Palestine through EI – was arrested in Zurich, ahead of a talk he was invited to give. This is bone-chilling. Not only a case of more targeting of Palestinian journalists but also to the… pic.twitter.com/WKQmmkbEFS

— Sana Saeed (@SanaSaeed) January 26, 2025

Abunimah’s trip to Switzerland was set to conclude with a speech on the Palestinian struggle. But shortly after his arrival, he became the subject of a media attack. The Swiss outlet NZZ published a piece attempting to link him to Islamic fundamentalism and anti-Semitism. The article quoted a board member of the Zionist group Never Again Is Now (NAIN), who alleged that “Abunimah and his platform are a mouthpiece for Hamas.”

Mario Fehr, the official behind Abunimah’s arrest on January 25, is a staunchly pro-Israel activist and security figure in Switzerland known for attending and speaking at pro-Israel rallies. The precise reason for Abunimah’s detention and deportation remains unclear—he was held without charge—but the circumstances suggest his journalistic work was a likely factor.

While Abunimah faced arrest, interrogation, and eventual deportation on January 27, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was granted permission by Polish authorities to visit the Auschwitz memorial, despite an active International Criminal Court arrest warrant. Israeli President Isaac Herzog, meanwhile, was welcomed with full diplomatic courtesies at the World Economic Forum’s annual conference in Davos.

Not a single mainstream western media outlet has covered the Swiss authorities arresting @intifada’s executive director @AliAbunimah.

A “civilized” western country is persecuting a journalist for exposing Israel’s crimes and the media is silent. Bunch of hypocrites. pic.twitter.com/NC3HZBqjTz

— Rania Khalek (@RaniaKhalek) January 27, 2025

Electronic Intifada is no stranger to this kind of scrutiny. During the course of Israel’s war in Gaza, Abunimah’s colleague at the outlet, Asa Winstanley, was targeted by British authorities. His home was raided, and his electronic devices were confiscated under the pretext that he may have violated the U.K.’s broadly worded Terrorism Act.

The British government has applied the Terrorism Act with increasing authoritarianism, using it to justify the arrests of journalists such as Richard Medhurst and activists like Sarah Wilkinson. But it has pursued members of the Palestine Action group with particular fervor, seemingly intent on dismantling its campaign to expel Israel’s top weapons manufacturer, Elbit Systems, from the U.K.

Meanwhile, Germany—perhaps the most aggressive European nation in suppressing speech critical of Israeli military actions—has escalated its crackdown. Authorities continue to round up, investigate, arrest, deport, and raid the homes of thousands of pro-Palestinian activists, journalists, and scholars.

Palestinian surgeon Ghassan Abu-Sitta was barred from entering any of the 29 European nations in the Schengen Area during Israel’s war on Gaza. German police even went so far as to raid a screening where he was scheduled to speak virtually. France, meanwhile, has not only banned protests in solidarity with Gaza in the past but has actively censored speech on the issue, particularly over the past 15 months. French President Emmanuel Macron has stated that he would facilitate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s travel to France, disregarding the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant in the process.

In the United States, lawmakers backed by pro-Israel lobbying groups are pushing legislation aimed at restricting nonprofit organizations that promote a pro-Palestinian message. The measures would impact media outlets, civil society groups, and advocacy organizations alike. Washington has also seen its share of arrests and raids. Among the most prominent was the police raid on the home of pro-Palestinian author Alison Weir in November of last year.

Feature photo | Illustration by MintPress News

Robert Inlakesh is a political analyst, journalist and documentary filmmaker currently based in London, UK. He has reported from and lived in the occupied Palestinian territories and hosts the show ‘Palestine Files’. Director of ‘Steal of the Century: Trump’s Palestine-Israel Catastrophe’. Follow him on Twitter @falasteen47

The post Swiss Intelligence, Pro-Israel Groups Coordinated to Silence Palestinian Journalist Ali Abunimah appeared first on MintPress News.