Israel’s far-right government has declared the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel an unlawful assembly, effectively outlawing the group led by Sheikh Raed Salah. The decision, made by the Security Cabinet on Tuesday, November 17, means that any person or group that officially associates with the organization from now on will be subject to criminal penalties, including arrest. In addition, the decision entitles authorities to confiscate the organization’s property.
Following the decision, police searched more than a dozen of the group’s offices around the country, seizing computers, files and funds. Authorities also froze its bank accounts and said that 17 organizations affiliated with the movement were served with orders to close down.
Raed Salah, leader of the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, during a large protest and a general strike, in solidarity with Palestinians in Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza, in the northern town of Sakhnin, October 13, 2015 (Photo: Activestills)
Police called in for question several of the movement’s members including Salah, his deputy Sheikh Kamal Khatib, and the organization’s head of Jerusalem and al-Aqsa mosque affairs, Dr. Salman Abu Ahmad. Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said that “The State of Israel must set an example and spearhead the fight against radical Islam, whose messengers we have witnessed slaughtering innocent people in Paris, New York, Madrid and Israel.” The “opposition” Zionist Union party welcomed the decision.
Former Hadash MK Mohammed Barakeh, head of the Arab Higher Monitoring Committee, called the decision “an unjustified draconian step.” The umbrella organization has called for Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to strike on Thursday, November 19. “We view this decision as a criminal act which targets the entire Arab public and see it as being our right – and even our duty – to act for our public, including on the issue of al-Aqsa, and attempts by the right-wing to change the status quo there,” Barakeh said. The Communist Party of Israel and Hadash also published a statement against the decision.
Responding to the announcement, Joint List chair MK Ayman Odeh (Hadash) called the move a politically motivated decision made for “strategic purposes.” “Netanyahu is continuing in his attempts to exacerbate the situation on the ground and escalate it by inciting against a political movement whose activities are all conducted in accord with the right to free speech,” he said. “This is indisputably a case of political, anti-democratic persecution that is part of the de-legitimization campaign waged by Netanyahu’s government against the country’s Arab citizens.”
MK Yousef Jabareen (Hadash – Joint List) said the decision constitutes “dangerous political persecution and a serious violation of a national minority’s basic right to freedom of expression, freedom of religion, the freedom of assembly.” “This manifestation of political and religious oppression also causes grave damage to religious, social welfare, and educational services that the movement provides all Arab residents,” Jabareen added.
“Those who disagree with the positions of the Islamic Movement in Israel should say clearly and unequivocally that outlawing this movement is a demagogic and anti-democratic move, harmful in every respect,” said a spokesperson for Gush Shalom, the Israeli Peace Bloc. “Up until now, the Islamic Movement has acted openly, undertaking various political and religious activities which were public and visible for all to see – however disagreeable the message conveyed sometimes was. It is no coincidence that the heads of the Shabak Security Service had strong reservations about such a move. For many months they strongly advised the government not to drive underground a mass movement which has tens of thousands of supporters among the Arab citizens of Israel. In last night’s meeting pushing through the banning of the Islamic Movement, Prime Minister Netanyahu has taken advantage of the atmosphere of hysteria following the atrocity in Paris, in order to take an ill-considered step and gain cheap immediate popularity at the expense of incurring serious long-term damage. Historical experience in many times and places has shown that when a government gets away with outlawing a hated political movement, there would follow acts of oppression also towards other movements and parties.”
Gush Shalom goes on to say: “The Northern Islamic Movement and its leader Sheikh Salah were charged with fanning the flames at the Mosque Compound in East Jerusalem. But the very last body entitled to make such charges is a cabinet whose ministers include Uri Ariel, the foremost of all Temple Mount provocateurs and firebrands. When the government in which Ariel is Minister of Agriculture outlaws Sheikh Salah’s movement, there is no escaping a feeling of outright discrimination and double standards in the actions and policies of the current government of Israel.”
