Islamic northern branch head claims Arab state warned him of officials' plan to assassinate him.
By JPOST.COM STAFFraed salah 248.88(photo credit: Associated Press)
High-ranking Israeli officials are plotting against Sheikh Raed Salah, the head of the Islamic Movement's northern branch claimed on Saturday.
Salah told supporters during a rally in Umm el-Fahm that a certain Arab country had warned him that extreme right-wing members were planning to assassinate him.
His speech was made in the presence of the town's mayor, Knesset members and Arab religious leaders during an event organized by the Israeli Arab Higher Follow-up Committee.
"I received information from an Arab country warning me of a plan to assassinate me. I have no more details in the matter," the sheikh, who is known for speaking at heavily-attended rallies in the town and is often accused of incitement, told the crowd.
Last week the Islamic Movement hired a private security firm to guard mosques and other public institutions in Umm el-Fahm.
"Following the recent events and the threats made by right-wing religious leaders such as [MKs Avigdor] Leiberman and [Effi] Eitam, who talked about a religious sanction to seek revenge for the terrorist attack [at the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva] in Jerusalem last week, we must not ignore the voices and take precautions," Umm el-Fahm Mayor Sheikh Hashem Abdel-Rahman told the Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.
Shelly Paz contributed to this report.
