Nazareth, November 5, 2026 — The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the detention of Palestinian journalist Abed Abu Shehadeh, who was accused of “contacting a foreign agent” and had his detention extended by eight days after he was questioned about his journalism, according to his wife.
Israeli police and the Shin Bet, the country’s internal intelligence service, arrested the Palestinian citizen of Israel, whose full name is Abdel Qader Abu Shehadeh, at his home in Jaffa on the night of November 3. The Tel Aviv-Jaffa Magistrate’s Court extended his detention until Sunday, November 8.
His wife Haneen Eghbariya, who is also part of his legal team, told CPJ that the investigation focused on an interview he conducted with Palestinian intellectual Azmi Bishara, an exiled former member of Israel’s Knesset who Israeli authorities have accused of espionage and treason, for his podcast Al-Midan on the Haifa-based news website Arab48 website. She added that Shin Bet investigators questioned him overnight and did not allow him to consult a lawyer, despite his request.
During the court hearing, a police representative initially acknowledged that Abu Shehadeh was a journalist, but after a recess she retracted this statement and instead said he is a political adviser. The defense objected to this new description, and asked whether there was evidence that the meeting went beyond recording a podcast interview or contained information not available to the public. The police representative referred her answers to the secret investigation materials.
“Journalists should not be punished for platforming views critical of the state,” said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. “We demand the immediate unconditional release of Abu Shehadeh, the dropping of all charges against him, and an explanation of why he was targeted in what some have described as a political campaign.”
Abu Shehadeh has worked in journalism for more than 10 years and publishes in three languages. He writes for the Arab48, which hosts his podcast, the independent news site Sicha Mekomit “Local Call,” and its sister-publication the English-language +972 Magazine. She also said he appeared on Al Jazeera as a political analyst covering the recent Israeli elections.
CPJ’s email to the Israeli police on Abu Shehadeh’s arrest did not receive a response by the time of publication.