Palestinian Judges Strike Over Lack of Security

Palestinian Authority judges went on strike Saturday to protest inadequate security, and the chief justice said lawlessness in the courts had prompted him to resign.

Gaza Strip and West Bank judges and lawyers have repeatedly complained of attacks by Palestinian gunmen who storm courtrooms to try to influence decisions or protest rulings.

Dozens of jurists protested outside the main court headquarters in Gaza City, saying that they would not return to work until the Palestinian Authority cracked down on the attackers and improved courtroom security.

Chief Justice Zuhair Surani said work at all courts in the West Bank and Gaza had been stopped since early Saturday.

Palestinian gunmen detonated bombs outside the houses of both Surani and Atty. Gen. Hussein Abu Asi last week, causing damage but no casualties. They did not give a specific reason for the attacks.

Surani told reporters he had resigned in protest, but did not say whether he had actually submitted his resignation to President Mahmoud Abbas. He said he held the Palestinian Authority fully responsible for the safety of jurists.

“I regard myself resigned until the demands are met,” Surani told reporters.