Subdued celebration
The Israel Police claims that it prevented a "display of incitement" on Monday night at a gathering in east Jerusalem in honor of Ibrahim Abbasi, a former senior official in Hamas's military wing, who was released from 18 years' imprisonment.
Abbasi had been imprisoned for a string of security-related crimes and for planning terrorist attacks with the Izz a-Din al-Qassam Brigade in the 1990s.
Scenes from the event
The event was similar to the celebrations following the release of Sufian Bakri Abdu from prison after 14 years; he was incarcerated for planning to poison Israelis in a Jerusalem café. Three days after the celebrations in Jabel Mukaber, at which Hamas flags were waved and calls to incitement were heard, Abdu was rearrested on suspicion of incitement and supporting a terror organization.
Sunday, police officers went to local community leaders and warned them not to incite to violence or to wave Hamas flags, and the event was restrained and short.
Maor Tzemach, Chairman of the organization 'Lach Yerushalayim' (To Thee Jerusalem), which seeks to apply Israeli sovereignty in all parts of Jerusalem, commented in response, "I congratulate the police and the minister of public security for their actions to prevent a release and incitement party for the terrorist Ibrahim Abbasi." Tzemach repeated his organization's call for procedures to be laid out regarding the release of security detainees in east Jerusalem.