The Israeli District Court sentenced on Wednesday Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the Northern Branch of The Islamic Movement, to nine months after “convicting him of incitement”. Salah was prevented from entering Jerusalem and the Al Aqsa Mosque following clashes between Palestinians and Israeli border guard policemen invading the yards of the mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Salah called on the Palestinians and Arabs in the country to flock to the mosque and defend it from attacks carried out by fundamentalist settlers in Israel, and from the ongoing Israeli violations and excavations.
The Al Quds Center for Social and Economic Rights slammed the decision and considered it another Israeli violation against Palestinian and Arab figures defending the mosque.
The Center added that Israel forced dozens of figures, including religious leaders, away from Jerusalem and the mosque in an attempt to control it and give fundamental settler groups a free hand.
It stated that the Israeli Judicial System does not act against fundamental
Jewish groups that openly call for attacking the mosque and slaying the Arabs.
The center said that a fundamental Jewish leader, Shmoel Elyahu, recently and openly called for hanging to death members of the Abu Dheim family in Jerusalem.
Ovadia Yusef, former Chief Rabbi, recently described the Muslims as “fools” and described their religion as “disgusting”. Other leaders, such as Rabbi Mordichai Elyahu, called for war against all Arabs and Palestinians, the Maan News Agency reported.
The Al Quds Center warned that the decision against Sheikh Salah is only the beginning of similar violations against any person who counters or exposes Israel’s illegal plans and excavations in the Holy City.
