Israel arrests Islamic cleric for incitement

Israeli police rearrested an Islamic cleric for inciting violence around a sensitive Jerusalem holy site, they announced on Tuesday.

Raed Salah, who heads the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, was questioned for allegedly supporting and inciting violence and terrorism, police said Tuesday.

Israel in 2015 outlawed the northern and more radical branch of the movement, which promotes the Islamic faith in Israel, due to alleged ties with the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, the militant Islamic Palestinian group that rules the Gaza Strip. The northern branch was accused of inciting violence linked to Jerusalem's Haram al-Sharif mosque compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount.

Read more: The Temple Mount: A clash of cultures

Little more than half a year ago Salah ended a nine-month prison sentence on similar charges. Since his release he has had several run-ins with Israeli authorities. He was previously jailed for sending money to Hamas.

Israel's public security minister, Gilad Erdan said Salah was "a danger to the public" for encouraging "radicalism and despicable acts of murder."

"This time justice will be done and he will be sent behind bars for a long time," he said in a statement.

Read more: Israel bans Arab Islamic Movement for 'incitement' over al-Aqsa religious site

Authorities did not clarify if the accusations were linked to last month's deadly unrest surrounding Temple Mount after Israel imposed strict security screenings at access points to the holy site.

Violence erupted around the compound after three Arab Israelis shot dead two Israeli policemen in July.

aw/kms (AFP, AP)