1000s rally against Israel ban on Islamic Movement

Thousands of Palestinians have staged a demonstration in protest against the recent ban imposed by the Tel Aviv regime against the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in the occupied territories.

More than 10,000 protesters took to the streets of Umm al-Fahm city, located 20 kilometers (12 miles) northwest of Jenin in the northern part of the occupied West Bank on Saturday afternoon, waving Islamic Movement and Palestinian flags.

The demonstrators chanted, “We sacrifice our lives for al-Aqsa,” calling for the ban to be overturned.

Jamal Zahalka, an Arab member of the Knesset and leader of the Balad political party, said the north branch “has never breached the law,” and vowed to spare no effort in the fight to lift the ban.

In an address to the gathering, leader of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement, Sheikh Raed Salah, called the ban “blind hatred,” adding, “We’ll beat their racism and hatred.”

On November 17, Israeli forces closed the offices of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement, accusing it of being behind the recent wave of tensions in the occupied Palestinian lands.

The new measure came shortly after Israel’s Interior Ministry placed travel bans on three senior officials in the northern branch of the Islamic Movement. The individuals were the group’s leader, Sheikh Raed Salah, deputy leader, Kamal Khatib, and head of the movement’s public relations office, Yousef Awawdeh.

Last month, Salah was sentenced to 11 months in prison for what Israel termed incitement of violence. The ruling, however, is being appealed in Israel’s Supreme Court.

Salah has denounced Israel’s latest measure against his group, vowing that the Islamic Movement’s northern branch will endeavor to honor its commitments of supporting the Palestinian cause. He said he would do his best to overturn the recent measure against his party.

Ahmad Tibi, a leader of the Arab Movement for Change (Ta’al) and Knesset member, also slammed the latest Israeli move as politically-motivated, saying the “extremist” regime in Tel Aviv is to blame for the ongoing tensions in the occupied lands.

Tensions in the occupied Palestinian territories have dramatically escalated since the Israeli regime’s imposition of restrictions in August on the entry of Palestinian worshipers to the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East al-Quds (Jerusalem).

More than 100 Palestinians have been killed in the recent escalation of violence since the start of October.

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