Haaretz: Shin Bet opposes outlawing Islamic Movement in Israel

Israel’s Shin Bet security force is opposed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to outlaw the Islamic Movement in Israel, led by Sheikh Raed Salah, due to the lack of legal grounds for taking such a decision.

Yesterday, Haaretz newspaper reported Shin Bet’s position which “was conveyed to an interagency team that was established to consider policy toward Salah as a result of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s desire to outlaw the movement.”

The newspaper pointed out that “the Shin Bet has informed the team that the information that it has collected on the Islamic Movement does not link the group to actual violent activity or the transfer of funds to other entities that fund or carry out terrorist activity.”

“The interagency team has not yet concluded its work, however, and the Shin Bet and the Israel Police are still exploring legal grounds that may be pursued. One of the directions that is being explored is an investigation of how the Islamic Movement is funded in an effort to link it to Hamas groups abroad,” Haaretz added.

Earlier the newspaper had reported that at a cabinet meeting in May, the prime minister was informed that the Justice Ministry opposed such move.

Unlike the Southern Branch of the movement, headed by Member of Knesset Ibrahim Sarsour, the Northern Branch of the movement, headed by Salah, refuses to take part in parliamentary elections.

The Northern Branch is considered the most popular in Israel. Netanyahu’s government hold it responsible for the invitations to repel the settlers’ incursions against Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Israeli security services have been pursuing Salah; only last month the Central Court accepted the public prosecutor’s “incitement of hatred” charge against Salah for his position towards the Israeli actions in Al-Aqsa Mosque. As a result, Salah may be given a long prison sentence.

Two years ago he was prevented from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque and the city of East Jerusalem.

The Israeli prime minister holds the Islamic Movement, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas responsible for the events that have taken place in the city of Jerusalem in the past few months.