Bibi seizes chance to ban Islamist group


November 18, 2015
Sarah Benton

Two articles from Haaretz, one on the recent ban and an earlier one by Barak Ravid on Shin Bet’s assessment. Last, an article from Al Jazeera.


Sheikh Raed Salah, the leader of the northern wing of the Islamic Movement in Israel at a police station in Haifa, November 17, 2015. Photo by Rami Shllush

Paris Attacks Give Netanyahu Cover for Islamic Movement Ban

The prime minister is seizing an opportunity: When the West is intensifying its battle against ISIS, he won’t be criticized overseas for declaring war on Islamist zealots at home.

By Amos Harel, Haaretz
November 18, 2015

The decision to outlaw the northern branch of Israel’s Islamic Movement has been under discussion by the diplomatic-security cabinet ever since the wave of violence in Jerusalem and the West Bank erupted early last month. The fact that it was finally implemented this week is no accident; it’s connected to events overseas.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to strike while the iron is hot, seizing an opportunity to crack down on Palestinian terror at a time when global attention is also focused on Islamist terror, albeit far from here. When the Western world is intensifying its battle against Islamic State following terror attacks in Sinai, Beirut and Paris, Netanyahu won’t be criticized overseas for declaring war on Islamist zealots here at home.

The decision to outlaw the northern branch was forced on the anti-terror professionals by the government. The Shin Bet wasn’t enthusiastic about the move, partly due to fear it would inflame Israeli Arabs and that Salah and his allies would switch to underground activity that would be harder to monitor.

But it seems the Shin Bet’s reservations, which were never codified into a clear recommendation against the decision, also had another reason: The agency has traditionally preferred to focus on “hard” terrorism — making bombs, recruiting suicide bombers, organizing shooting attacks and such. Efforts to combat “soft” terrorism, like blocking funding channels, monitoring sermons in mosques and shutting down charities, involve long, complex operations that divert resources from fighting hard terror, especially when the targets are Israeli citizens. Thus it’s no surprise that the agency had qualms, even beyond the question of whether it’s justified to place such severe restrictions on an organization to which almost 10,000 Israelis belong.

The Islamic Movement was born in the same incubator as Hamas — namely the Muslim Brotherhood. For years, the movement’s northern branch has functioned as a sort of younger stepsister to Hamas. In addition to systematically inciting against Israel and pouring fuel on the Temple Mount bonfire, its leaders have long maintained ties with the leaders of Hamas in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and overseas.

The head of the northern branch, Sheikh Raed Salah, has led the “Al-Aqsa is in danger” campaign for almost two decades. Over the last two years, he has stepped up both his rhetoric and his activities, thereby fuelling anger over the Temple Mount — to which right-wing Jewish activists have also contributed — among both Palestinians and Israeli Arabs.

Salah and his fellows directed the Mourabitoun and Mourabitat, groups of male and female Muslims, respectively, who worked in shifts to harass Jewish visitors to the Mount, and who were paid by sources connected to the northern branch. The state outlawed both those groups in September.

Organizations affiliated with the northern branch also served as pipelines for transferring money to Hamas in the West Bank, including from Islamic charities in Turkey. Among the beneficiaries of this money were families of Hamas members killed or imprisoned by Israel.
According to intelligence shown to the ministers, Salah and several other northern branch officials were in contact with senior Hamas officials in Gaza and the West Bank. Often, the northern branch and Hamas-affiliated organizations in the West Bank used the same lawyers and accountants. The argument is that both fall under the same ideological umbrella.

Television stations broadcast dramatic footage on Tuesday of police handing out closure orders to organizations affiliated with the northern branch. But those with long memories might recall that this isn’t the first time. More than a decade ago, at the height of the second intifada, a similar police operation took place, and Salah and his associates were arrested on suspicion of transferring funds to Hamas.

At that time, the northern branch was targeted by a joint forum of the intelligence services that was trying to crack down on “soft” terrorism — charities or companies affiliated with Hamas and Islamic Jihad. In recent years, this forum’s activities have waned, but renewed thought is now being given to how to strengthen its work, and which intelligence agency should lead it.

This week Netanyahu wanted a dramatic step, and he got one. But how useful it will prove will depend in part on whether the state maintains its pressure on the northern branch over time — something it has failed to do in the past.

Meanwhile, in the West Bank, the fifth shooting attack of the last 10 days took place Tuesday evening. In contrast, there have been no stabbing or car-ramming attacks in the last few days. A shift toward shooting attacks could ultimately prove more lethal than the wave of stabbings has been. But the army says it’s too soon to declare that the trend has definitely changed.


Shin Bet Head Says There Is Not Sufficient Cause to Outlaw Islamic Movement

Contrary to Netanyahu’s movement, Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen cites evidence linking the group to incitement, but not terror, so only the organization’s funding sources should be targeted.

By Barak Ravid, Haaretz
November 02, 2015

Shin Bet security service chief Yoram Cohen has told the security cabinet he objects to declaring the Islamic Movement’s northern branch an illegal organization, according to two ministers who attended security cabinet briefings over the past month.

Cohen said the Shin Bet had no intelligence linking the group to terrorism.

In recent weeks the security cabinet has held meetings on whether action should be taken against the organization because of its involvement in incitement regarding the Temple Mount. Another meeting was held yesterday but no decisions were made.

According to one minister, Cohen said the northern branch had more than 10,000 members, and it was neither wise nor practical to declare all of them criminals overnight. He said this would do more harm than good.

Another minister quoted Cohen as saying the focus should be on pressuring the organization’s leaders. While there is no evidence directly linking the group to terror, there is evidence of its involvement in incitement to violence.

Cohen suggested cracking down on the northern branch’s funding sources, particularly Muslim Brotherhood affiliates in the Arab world and Europe, the minister said.

Both ministers said that in this Cohen argued with ministers who felt the group should be outlawed. During discussions on this and other issues, Cohen never hesitated to take positions contrary to those of ministers in the forum.

For example, they said he did not support returning the bodies of terrorists to their families, contrary to the stance of Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon. Cohen also supported destroying the homes of terrorists, arguing that this was a major deterrent to potential terrorists.

The Shin Bet declined to comment for this article.

For more than two years, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he wants to outlaw the northern branch. In 2013 he set up a special team to examine the issue, but nothing came of the deliberations.

When the current wave of violence surrounding the Temple Mount began in September, Netanyahu raised the possibility again.

Two weeks ago, during a visit to the Gaza Division, he said he planned to push legislation on the issue, but discussions on the issue are moving slowly. A source in the Prime Minister’s Office said that as a first step a decision might be made to declare the Muslim Brotherhood illegal.



Palestinians have been protesting in Israel at the harsh measures taken against them by the security cabinet. October 2015 photo by Patrick Strickland.

Islamic Movement rejects Israeli government ban

Israeli government accuses group of “incitement” as Palestinians continue to protest Israeli policies in Jerusalem.

By Ali Younes, Al Jazeera
November 17, 2015

Leaders from the Islamic Movement in Israel have rejected the Israeli government decision to outlaw the social and civic group.

The Israeli government’s decision on Tuesday came a day after a travel ban was issued on its leaders, who are accused of incitement and encouraging violence against Israeli policies in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied West Bank.

Police throughout Israel searched and confiscated computers and files from the group’s offices.

Seventeen of the group’s social and civic services offices that cater to the Muslim community throughout Israel were shut down by police.

Israeli police in Haifa is currently questioning three of the group’s leaders, including its head, Sheikh Raed Salah, his deputy Kamal al-Khatib, and Suleiman Ahmad who handles the group’s Jerusalem affairs.

In making the group illegal, the Israeli government invoked a 1945 British-mandate emergency law, which predates the establishment of the state of Israel, to outlaw groups and organisations deemed a “threat” to the state.

Salah issued a statement published online, rejecting the decision and calling it “unjust”.

He also said that the Islamic Movement “will remain steadfast through its message and commitment to Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque”.

He also said he “will do all [he] can to remove the injustice against the group within the framework of the law and other legitimate means”.

Omar Khamyseh, a lawyer in Israel, told Al Jazeera that in the wake of this decision, the group has two options to deal with it: one is to appeal to the Israeli minister of defence, who issued the decision, to revoke it; while the second option is to file an appeal to the Israeli Supreme Court against the government’s decision.

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