by News Agencies and Israel Hayom Staff
"The goal is to stop the dangerous incitement at home and prevent harm to innocent life," PM Benjamin Netanyahu says of Diplomatic-Security Cabinet's move to ban Islamic Movement's Northern Branch • Police raid more than a dozen Northern Branch offices.
Sheikh Raed Salah, the head of the Islamic Movement's Northern Branch
Photo credit: Yoav Ari Dudkevitch
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Israel announced on Tuesday it has outlawed the Islamic Movement's Northern Branch, which it has accused of inciting violence.
After the decision, law enforcement searched more than a dozen of the group's offices around the country, seizing computers, files and funds, police said. Authorities also froze its bank accounts and said that 17 organizations affiliated with the party were served with orders to close down.
The Northern Branch routinely accuses Israel of trying to take over the Temple Mount. Despite numerous reiterations by Israel of its commitment to maintaining the status quo on the Temple Mount, false rumors about supposed Israeli plans at the holy site have helped fuel the recent wave of Palestinian violence that has swept over Israel.
Under the status quo, non-Muslims are allowed to visit but not pray on the Temple Mount.
Israel says the recent violence is the result of incitement by Palestinian leaders and has blamed the Northern Branch for fanning flames among Israeli Arabs.
A statement released by the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday morning said, "The [decision] means that any entity or person belonging to this organization henceforth, as well as any person who gives it service, or who acts on its behalf, will be committing a criminal offense and is subject to imprisonment. It will also be possible to seize all property belonging to the organization.
"For years, the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement has led a mendacious campaign of incitement under the heading 'Al-Aqsa is in danger' that falsely accuses Israel of intending to harm Al-Aqsa mosque and violate the status quo. In this context, the Northern Branch has established a network of paid activists (mourabitoun / murabitat) in order to initiate provocations on the Temple Mount. This activity has led to a significant increase in tension on the Temple Mount. A significant portion of recent terrorist attacks have been committed against the background of this incitement and propaganda.
"Outlawing the organization is a vital step in maintaining public security and preventing harm to human life.
"The Northern Branch, headed by Sheikh Raed Salah, is a sister movement of the Hamas terrorist organization. The two movements maintain a close and secretive cooperation. The Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement is a separatist-racist organization that does not recognize the institutions of the State of Israel, denies its right to exist and calls for the establishment of an Islamic caliphate in its place. The Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement belongs to radical Islam and is part of the global 'Muslim Brotherhood' movement. The two movements share an extremist ideology and a common goal -- the destruction of the State of Israel.
"The [Diplomatic-Security Cabinet] decision is directed against elements that drive and support incitement and racist activity, undermine regional stability and cause harm to innocent life. This move is not directed against the Arab and Muslim public in Israel, the great majority of which upholds the laws of the state and disavows incitement and terrorism."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "The [Diplomatic-Security Cabinet] decision was made following a series of in-depth discussions with all relevant legal and security elements; the goal is to stop the dangerous incitement at home and prevent harm to innocent life. My government will continue to act as necessary against incitement and terrorism; at the same time, we will continue to invest resources for the betterment of Israel's Arab and Jewish citizens alike."
Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan linked the decision to Friday's terrorist attacks in Paris, saying in a statement that "Israel must act as an example and spearhead the struggle against radical Islam whose emissaries we saw massacring innocent people in Paris" and elsewhere.
Salah was defiant following the decision, saying his group would fight the measure and continue on with its mission.
"All these measures done by the Israeli establishment are oppressive and condemned," Salah said in a statement, adding that he and two other party leaders were summoned to police questioning.
Separately, Salah is set to start an 11-month jail term later this month in connection with incitement charges from a 2007 sermon.
Education Minister and Habayit Hayehudi leader Naftali Bennett said, "Israel is moving from words into actions. We are demolishing the homes of terrorists, stripping residency rights and this morning we outlawed the Islamic Movement's Northern Branch. ... Israel is leading the free world's global fight against Islamic radicalism."
Opposition MKs also had praise for the decision, with Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid saying, "The [Diplomatic-Security Cabinet] made the right decision to ban the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement. We can't allow those who incite and advocate terrorism within the State of Israel to wander freely in the streets and mosques while promoting their intentions to kill. The State of Israel upholds the rule of law and all incitement and promotion of terrorism requires a strong and clear response."
The decision, however, sparked outrage among Israeli Arab leaders and lawmakers.
Former Israeli Arab MK Mohammad Barakeh, the head of an umbrella group of Arab Israeli political parties and community leaders, called the decision "an unjustified draconian step." The umbrella organization was set to hold an emergency meeting about the ban.
News Agencies and Israel Hayom Staff
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=29759
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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