Dozens of Islamic Movement activists came to the Ashkelon Magistrate's Court for the hearing on extending the detention of Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the Islamic Movement's northern branch, and other senior figures from the Arab sector who took part in the flotilla to Gaza .
Also present were a number of students from the college in Ashkelon. Dozens of police officers tried to keep order and prevent clashes between the two groups.
The students, demonstrating against the flotilla and against the Islamic Movement, held banners reading, "Turkey is becoming Iran," Humanitarian flotilla? Terror flotilla" and "Well done, IDF!"
In addition to Salah, the police want to extend the detention of head of the Islamic Movement's southern branch, Hamad Abu Daa'bas, and Mohammad Zeidan, chairman of the Arab Higher Monitoring Committee.
The courtroom erupted when Salah family members arrived. Salah's sister enraged the demonstrators when she made a gesture of slaughter at them. They responded by calling, "Terrorist," and "Go back to Gaza."
"What happened yesterday on the vessel was simply terror," she said. "Even if they arrest the Sheikh it won't change anything because he sits in the shadow of God. This is our land and we'll continue to be here, nobody can do anything about that, not even those who are now cursing the Prophet Mohammed."
'No justification for massacre'
MK Talab el-Sana (Ta'al-United Arab List ),also present, said to Ynet he and his associates had come "to show solidarity and support for all the participants of the Freedom Flotilla. We wish to express our condemnation and disgust of the massacre that IDF troops carried out against the participants of the flotilla."
He added, "There was no justification for the massacre."
"Every human being must demonstrate his support for those who left their families and countries to take part," he continued. "I have visited the wounded in hospital and they all have shot wounds to the head and body."
El-Sana demanded that a committee be set up to investigate the events.
The police will also request the extension of the detention of 18 young people arrested Monday night on suspicion of disorderly conduct in Um el-Fahm, Nazareth, Fureidis and Haifa.
"We will continue the policy of attacks against anyone acting violently in any way," the police said. "We will allow protest, but not disorderly conduct."