Sheikh Salah: Raid on al-Aqsa offices won't intimidate us

Islamic Movement leader says shutting down of institution tasked with 'defending' Al-Aqsa Mosque will not deter Israeli-Arabs. 'Our journey to Jerusalem, which began in 2000 (eruption of second intifada) will continue and grow stronger,' he says
Sharon Roffe-Ofir

Sheikh Raed Salah, the leader of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, slammed the security establishment's decision to shut down the movement's al-Aqsa institution offices in the northern city of Umm al-Fahm on Saturday night.

Hamas Ties

Police shut down Islamic Movement institution / Sharon Roffe-Ofir

Dozens of police, Shin Bet officers raid movement's al-Aqsa offices in Umm al-Fahm in accordance with order issued by defense minister, following information received on ties between institution, Hamas headquarters in Jerusalem. Documents, safe and money confiscated; some of movement's bank accounts frozen

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Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Salah said "to those who want to shut down the al-Aqsa institution we say, if by doing this you are trying to tell us to keep quiet or make us fear imprisonment – we will not keep silent and will carry on forever."

On Saturday night large police and Shin Bet forces raided the al-Aqsa institution offices and shut them down.

The operation was carried out in accordance with an "unlawful organization" order issued by Defense Minister Ehud Barak, following information that the institution had ties Hamas' headquarters in Jerusalem.

Saturday night's raid (Photo: Hagai Aharon)

Al-Aqsa serves as the movement's supreme institution in terms of activity related to Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque and is tasked with "defending" the mosque from nearby excavations Israel is conducting. On Friday, the movement held a charity event for the mosque under the banner "The Al-Aqsa is in Danger Festival".

"The name (of the al-Aqsa institution) may change, but our mission will have a thousand other names," Salah said, "We will not hesitate to pay a price for what we believe in; we will not budge one inch and vow to move forward.

"Jerusalem is within the Arab-Islamic community's rights until the end of days, and we will not hold any negotiations on it; the occupation is temporary," he added. "Hear this Barak and (Prime Minister Ehud) Olmert: Our journey to Jerusalem, which began in 2000 (eruption of second intifada) will continue and grow stronger. If until now 30 buses arrived at the Al-Aqsa Mosque (to defend it) each day, inshallah 60 buses will arrive from now on."

Salah cast harsh criticism at the Israeli security establishment, saying "you claim that the al-Aqsa institution threatens stability and co-existence, but where were you last month when a number of rabbis issued a halachic decree saying it is justified to kill me in the name of Judaism?"

Ali Abu-Sheikha, the institution's director general, claimed security forces confiscated files documenting the "damage" done to the Muslim holy sites, maps, NIS 1 million ($348,000) and some 800 alms boxes containing a total of NIS 270,000 (about $78,000).

"All that is left are the floor tiles, and if they could they would have taken them too," he said.

Abu-Sheikha further claimed that the forces raided his home, tore up a Koran and seized NIS 45,000 ($13,000).

Shuweiki Hatib, head of the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee told the press conference, "The Islamic Movement is a legal and legitimate political institution."

Referring to Defense Minister Barak, Hatib said "it would be better if you had declared your alliance with the fascists.

Sheikh Kamal Hatib, vice-chairman of the Islamic Movement told Ynet following the press conference that the allegations according to which the movement is linked to Hamas are false. "They (Israeli security establishment) are lying. There is no connection between the Islamic Movement and Hamas," he said.