Police question official from outlawed northern branch of the Islamic Movement
The official is suspected of making comments inciting to violence or expressing support of terrorism after the group was outlawed by the Israeli government in November 2015.
A senior official from the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel was questioned under caution on Wednesday, an Israel Police spokesman said.
The official is suspected of incitement to terrorism, expressing support of terrorism and participation in unlawful assembly.
The northern branch of the Islamic Movement was outlawed by the government in November 2015 because of its close ties to the terrorist organization Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.
According to the police, on different occasions after the group was outlawed, the suspect made a series of comments to the media, on internet sites and on social media, all relating to the existence of the movement and his role in it. This was done despite the fact it was outlawed.
An examination of all of these instances raised the suspicion that some of statements incite to violence or express support of terrorism.
Last month, four senior officials in the Islamic Movement from Arraba and Kafr Kanna were indicted on charges of conspiring to commit a crime, membership, holding a position and serving in an unlawful group, use of property for terror activity and money laundering.
According to the indictment, starting December 2015—about a month after the movement was outlawed—and until September 2016, the four conspired to operate a mechanism to continue the threats and harassment towards Jewish visitors and tourists on the Temple Mount.
