Judge says that his ‘blood-dripping’ statement makes dangerous for the public.
By UDI SHAHAMRaed Salah(photo credit: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/ OREN ROZENFELD)
The Haifa District Court rejected on Monday Raed Salah’s appeal to release him from his arrest until the end of his legal proceedings, following the decision by the Haifa Magistrate’s Court.Salah, the leader of the outlawed northern branch of the Islamic Movement, was indicted over support of an illegal union and terrorism incitement. The indictment document describes how he used his private Facebook account in various occasions to incite violence or call to commit terrorist acts.Salah also expressed his support of terrorism acts during the Umm al-Fahm funeral of the assailants from the Temple Mount attack, in which to Israeli policemen were killed, Hail Stawi and Kamil Shanan.Therefore, the Haifa Magistrate’s Court accepted the Haifa prosecutor request to keep Salah incarcerated until the end of his legal proceedings.In August the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court ruled that Salah’s statements are “a viable danger of the public.”Judge Erez Porat wrote in his decision that Salah was repeating his ”blood dripping” statements within a tense and explosive social situation, and thus proved that he is dangerous for the public’s safety.“These things are clearer in light of the fact that the appealer [Salah] has a rich past of similar offenses, and it seems that he is not deterred by law enforcement authorities, and he has repeatedly lashed out at the authorities and the security forces in a away that effectively encourages more acts of terrorism against them,” Porat wrote.In his court hearing, Salah claimed that his statement were said in a religious context and were not understood correctly.Judge Porat examined the translation of the statements and dismissed Salah’s claims.“All of the things that were said, which included words symbolizing injuring, killing and blood, in light of the circumstances they were said (daily violent clashes in Jerusalem, while considering the identity of the the person saying them - all of those reaffirms the alleged charges, which are based on his incitement for terrorism,” Porat wrote.
“Encouraging and supporting those who went to confront security forces in the area of the Temple Mount compound, while the appealer praises them… Because he is a religious authority, he essentially granted a religious certification to these violent acts,” he wrote.
