Radio Islam News and Agencies | 15 August 2017

Sheikh Raed Salaah, dubbed Sheikhul Aqsa by many for his efforts in raising awareness of the threats to Masjid al Aqsa, was abducted from his home in Umm al Fahm in the early hours of Tuesday morning by Israeli forces.

The leader of the Islamic Movement’s northern branch was arrested purportedly “on suspicion of inciting terrorism,” according to Israeli news sources.

According to Yedioth Adronoth, a large police force arrived at the Mahajina neighborhood of Umm al-Fahm and arrested Salah after a joint investigation between police and the Shin Bet, which was conducted at the behest of Israeli Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit.

A statement from the Zionist police alleged that “on several different occasions, all of them taking place after the (Islamic Movement’s) northern branch was outlawed, the inciter spoke to the public and a number of his statements were published in the media. Statements relating to the movement’s worldview.

“An examination of all the material indicates that some of the statements raise suspicion of the commission of (security) offenses and as a result, an investigation was authorized. Following the developments in the investigation, it will be decided to bring the suspect to court for a hearing on his case.”

The wife of the Sheik Salah, Um Omar, said: “Twenty policemen came into the house and took the computer and told my husband to prepare himself for his arrest. I do not know the background to this decision. However, all these steps will not change our path.”

One of Salah’s neighbors told Ynet, “Suddenly we saw police cars all over the neighborhood, they blocked the road. I thought at first that this was a murder, but after a short time we learned that they raided the house of Sheikh Raed and later arrested him.”

An activist in the Islamic Movement said the latest arrest amounted to political persecution.

“They are constantly trying to blame the sheikh for incitement, but there is no basis for all this. The Sheikh always tries to calm things down and does not call for riots as they claim. It is better that they stop the racists who incite against the Arab citizens, like Lieberman and others. Unfortunately, this country is only looking to persecute us at all costs. What matters to them is that the Sheikh is in jail.”

In January 2017, Sheikh Raed Salah was released from prison after serving nine months following his conviction by Israel for “inciting violence and racism” following a sermon he delivered in east Jerusalem in 2007.

In November 2015, the Israeli Security Cabinet declared the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, which the Sheikh leads, an illegal organization. The translated into the movement being outlawed, any property belonging to the organization being at risk of confiscation and anybody or person that either belongs to the organization, provides it with a service or operates on its behalf becoming liable for committing a criminal offense and subject to imprisonment.

Last month, Sheikh Salah warned of a number of Israeli attempts to assassinate him.

Salah accused senior Israeli leaders of inciting against him, including extremist settler leaders and acting ministers in the Israeli Government.

Writing on Facebook, Salah said that he was exposed to a series of aggressive acts as “a result of continuous incitement against me and many Palestinians” in Israel.

He noted that an unrecognised car got close to his house, took footage of it then fled. In addition, he said that a settler entered Umm Al-Fahm, where he lives, and started to ask about his house.

A friend of his, Salah said, reported that he heard his Israeli colleagues speaking about killing him or expelling him from his house.

“My blood is in the neck of [Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor] Lieberman, [Minister of Intelligence Yisrael] Katz and [Housing Minister Yoav] Galant and everyone like them,” he wrote, “because their remarks are a preparation for killing me or starting to attempt to kill me.”

The three Israeli ministers recently called for Salah to be arrested and placed under administrative detention.

Speaking during a cabinet session, ministers Avigdor Lieberman, Yisrael Katz and Yoav Galant demanded that Salah be placed under administrative detention.

The ministers demanded that other movement leaders be arrested along with Salah.

“I spent 15 years trying to delegitimise Shaikh Raed Salah,” wrote Katz on Twitter. “Today’s mission is to deport him out of the borders of Israel.”

Katz apparently said that the leading “Israeli-Arab” activist should be deported to Lebanon or the occupied Gaza Strip, which has been under an Israeli siege for 11 years.