Raed Salah blames Netanyahu for escalation in Palestinian territories

The head of the Islamic Movement in Israel has blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the ongoing escalation of tension and violence in the occupied Palestinian territories, Anadolu has reported

“Netanyahu thought that the weakness in the Arab region would give him a chance to partition Al-Aqsa, but this will not happen,” said Shaikh Raed Salah. “This uprising is going to turn into a massive intifada if Netanyahu does not recognise his mistake.”

Regarding the Israeli government’s claim that his movement is behind the uprising, the veteran Palestinian rights campaigner said that it is a “laughable” accusation. “The people in Jerusalem are Palestinians who see and hear what is happening. The violations of the Israeli occupation are increasing and fuelling the escalation.”

The Israeli cabinet has, apparently, decided to declare Shaikh Salah’s movement to be illegal. “Netanyahu has to know that we do not get our legitimacy from him, but from our dogma, our people and our Ummah,” he responded. “As such, we will continue our activities in support of and solidarity with Al-Aqsa.” He stressed that the Islamic movement cares little about what the Israeli officials say because it has a steadfast vision and agenda, which are planted in the hearts of its supporters.

Praising Jordan’s King Abdullah II for his stated position that Al-Aqsa Mosque should not be partitioned in any way, Shaikh Salah pointed out that, overall, the general Arab stance is “weak”. He added that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said, “The one who touches Al-Aqsa is playing with fire.”

Shaikh Raed Salah dismissed Arab calls for the Palestinians to calm down. “It is impossible to be silent about what is going on in Al-Aqsa Mosque,” he insisted.