Israeli court postpones trial of Al-Aqsa preacher

An Israeli court has postponed the trial of Ekrima Sabri, head of the Supreme Islamic Council and imam and preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque, on charges of incitement.

The Wadi Hilweh Information Center said the court decided on Monday to defer the proceedings until 17 February in order to review Sabri’s case file, which accuses him of “incitement to terrorism”.

A previous hearing in the case was held at the Magistrate’s Court on 18 November last year.

According to the indictment, the charges date back to 2022 and relate to condolence statements Sabri delivered at mourning tents for Uday al-Tamimi in Jerusalem and Raed Khazem in Jenin. The case also cites a eulogy he delivered for Ismail Haniyeh during a sermon at Al-Aqsa Mosque in 2024.

Over the past two years, Sheikh Sabri has been subjected to a series of measures by Israeli authorities, including arrest, expulsion from Al-Aqsa Mosque, repeated summonses, and what Palestinian sources describe as incitement against him by settlers.

Human rights organisations say the trial forms part of a broader pattern of political, religious and intellectual persecution targeting Sabri. They note that these measures have included repeated bans from Al-Aqsa Mosque, travel restrictions, limits on communication with specific individuals, and a demolition order issued against his home.

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