The Ra’am party condemned the arrest of Dr. Muhammad Salma Hassan, a member of the Shura Council of the Islamic Movement.

Israeli security forces stand on a roof top near the compound that houses Al-Aqsa Mosque, known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, following clashes on the compound in Jerusalem's Old City, April 15, 2022. (photo credit: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
Israeli security forces stand on a roof top near the compound that houses Al-Aqsa Mosque, known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, following clashes on the compound in Jerusalem’s Old City, April 15, 2022. (photo credit: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)

 

The Ra’am party issued a statement of condemnation in Arabic on Saturday regarding the arrest of Dr. Muhammad Salma Hassan, a member of the Shura Council of the Islamic Movement from the village of Mashhad in the Galilee. According to Ra’am, Hassan was violently arrested by security forces in Bab al-Huta, near the entrance to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The party alleged that Hassan was arrested after telling a policewoman to stop smoking.

The statement said, “This is a cowardly attack that proves that the occupation police at the Al-Aqsa Mosque are complicit in the attacks. Muslim worshipers are exposed to groups of extremists who attack Al-Aqsa and violate its sanctity.” At the end of the announcement, Ra’am stated that its MKs called on Public Security Minister Omer Bar Lev to prosecute the police and impose “the most severe punishments” on them.

Palestinians attend Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem, on April 1, 2022. (credit: JAMAL AWAD/FLASH90)
Palestinians attend Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem, on April 1, 2022. (credit: JAMAL AWAD/FLASH90)

 

A police source said that the suspects attacked the border fighters at the scene and therefore were arrested. The chief of staff of the “Red Line Protest,” Joel Shilo, said on Sunday night: “For the Prime Minister and the Islamic Movement, the police of the State of Israel are the ‘occupation police’. We have already experienced terrorist attacks on the Temple Mount, this is first-rate incitement. The Public Security Minister is required to condemn the incitement immediately and demand the removal of Ra’am from the coalition.”

 

West Bank legislation

The incident took place about a day before a bill to apply emergency regulations in the West Bank is put to a vote in the Knesset plenum, but until the last minute, it is not clear whether the coalition has a majority to pass it.

Meretz announced that it would support the legislation, but it is still unclear how the Ra’am faction will vote. A coalition source told Maariv that “we will only know in the 90th minute, on Monday, close to the vote.” The MK who resigned from the coalition, Idit Silman, also did not reveal how she intends to vote. Voting will start immediately and will be fast.

As reported by The Jerusalem Post