Israeli police arrest Palestinian presidential candidate

Israeli police arrested Palestinian presidential candidate Mustafa Barghouti in the Old City of Jerusalem today.

“They came and talked to him and told him he can’t be in Jerusalem,” said Barghouti’s spokeswoman, Diala Ghassan.

The arrest came a day after the Israeli Cabinet approved a series of measures meant to facilitate the January 9 election, including allowing candidates to campaign in disputed east Jerusalem.

Israeli police did not immediately comment.

Barghouti, a human rights activist, is running a distant second to the interim Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, in opinion polls.