Israel bans Arab Islamic Movement for ‘incitement’ over al-Aqsa religious site

But, as Israel’s largest trading partner, the EU’s guidelines on labelling do not fully meet its moral and legal obligations.

But the cabinet decided nonetheless to outlaw the 10,000-strong organization for inciting against Israel, particularly by claiming that it plans to change the status quo on the Temple Mount, the Jerusalem site revered by both Muslims and Jews.

Of note, 78 percent of Palestinians support “attempts to stab or run over Israelis” in the West Bank and Jerusalem, 61 percent thought it was morally right to name Palestinian streets after suicide bombers, more than 80 percent disagreed with the notion of sharing land with Jews because “this is Palestinian land and Jews have no rights to it” and 94 percent have a “very unfavorable” opinion of Jews.

While Israel spins that European Union labelling will hurt a few thousand Palestinian workers, in reality millions of Palestinians have been dispossessed of their economic resources. They had regularly clashed with Jewish extremists allowed into the area in ever-increasing numbers by the Israeli authorities. Netanyahu’s speech occurred shortly after Israel’s latest war with Hamas in 2014, which claimed 72 Israelis, mostly soldiers, and 2,100 Palestinians, mostly civilians.

Radical cleric Raed Salah, the group’s leader, was defiant, saying his party would fight the measure and continue its mission.

After parting ways, the northern group continued on as a service organization, funding charities, schools-gender segregated and coeducational-and local newspapers.

The organisation runs kindergartens, health clinics, mosques, a newspaper and a sports league.

“Al-Aqsa is a Palestinian national symbol. Further, this system will help curb efforts to boycott Israel entirely, such as those advocated by the BDS movement” (Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions). According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Shin Bet said information collected on the Islamic Movement “does not link the group to actual violent activity or the transfer of funds to other entities that fund or carry out terrorist activity”.

Both Zahalka and Ghanem said they feared that Netanyahu would next target Zahalka’s democratic nationalist party, Balad.

The Jordanian King has been at the forefront of the battle against Islamic State ever since the Jihadist group burned the Jordanian pilot Mu’ath al-Kaseasbeh alive.

A document issued by Netanyahu’s office stated that the group was “a sister-movement of the Hamas terrorist organization”.

Yaron Ezrachi, a professor emeritus of political science at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said that Netanyahu’s statements linking Hamas to the Islamic State reflect an Israeli worldview that pits irrational Arab actors against the rational West. In this perspective, “Israel is a pioneer in effective struggle against fanatic Islam”, he said.

The Southern Branch of the Islamic Movement is unaffected by the ban. The Palestinians and virtually the entire worldwide community view them as settlements.

In response, the Islamic Movement has funded so-called female Murabitat and male Murabitun groups to watch over Jewish visitors and ensure they do not pray.

The timing of Netanyahu’s announcement takes advantage of the growing climate against Islamic political activism at the local, regional and worldwide levels.

“If things are indeed as they seem to me today, the State of Israel will take appropriate steps against the Red Crescent”, Netanyahu said Saturday night in a phone conversation with Noa Litman, wife and mother of the two men slain late Friday afternoon.

Regionally, meanwhile, the Islamic Movement is at its weakest.

The current round of violence erupted in mid-September over rumors that Israel was trying to expand Jewish presence at the Jerusalem shrine and spread to the West Bank, Israeli cities and the Gaza border.

There is no end to the persecution that Palestinians face, and Polisar questions why they feel the way they do as if there was no provocation.

Zahalka said Netanyahu wanted a scapegoat and had found a convenient one in Salah. It added that the move is “punishes” the movement for its protection of Al-Aqsa Mosque.