The Prime Minister’s Office said that outlawing the northern branch of the Islamic Movement is an essential step in maintaining public security. The decision, the Prime Minister’s Office added, is directed toward those who motivate and support incitement and racist activities, destabilize the area and cause loss of life. “This move is not directed against the Arab and Muslim public in Israel, the great majority of which upholds the laws of the state and disavows incitement and terrorism,” the Prime Minister’s Office emphasized.Amnesty, as always, takes the side of those who incite to kill Jews:
“The northern branch of the Islamic Movement has for years lead a deceitful campaign of incitement under the title ‘Al-Aqsa is in danger,’ falsely accusing Israel of intending to harm the mosque and deviate from the status quo,” read documents disturbed by the Prime Minister’s Office. The document added that “the northern branch established a salaried group of activists (called the Morabitat) aimed at initiating provocations on the Temple Mount. This action significantly raised tensions on the Temple Mount. A large portion of the recent attacks were carried out against the backdrop of this incitement and propaganda.”
The document adds: “The northern branch, led by Sheik Ra’ad Salah, is a sister-movement of the terrorist organization Hamas. The movements maintain close, secret ties. The northern branch of the Islamic Movement is a separatist, racist group that does not recognize the institutions of the State of Israel, denies its right to exist, and calls for replacing it with an Islamic Caliphate in its place.” Salah was sentenced in October to 11 months in jail after being convicted in 2013 of incitement to violence over remarks he made in 2007. He has not begun serving his term.
The human rights organization Amnesty International said the decision to outlaw the Islamic Movement raises concerns over freedom of speech and association in Israel, noting in particular the raids, preventative arrests and property confiscations as causes for concern. “Especially worrying is the fact the decision was made by the Israeli cabinet, without a fair process which gives the movement the chance to defend itself in legal proceedings,” said a statement released by Amnesty.Amnesty's lies are particularly disgusting here. No one in the Israeli cabinet incites against the entire Arab population, only against terrorists and their supporters, and Amnesty is libeling Netanyahu by claiming that he does it personally.
“We’re worried by the selective enforcement, that while those who encourage the atmosphere of incitement against the Palestinian minority in Israel, like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and cabinet ministers and other high officials enjoy immunity, the northern branch of the Islamic Movement has been outlawed due to remarks made by individual members,” said Yonatan Gher, CEO of the Israel branch of Amnesty International.
But the Amnesty official is also ignoring the ties of the movement to Hamas, its direct incitement over supposed Israeli schemes to demolish Al Aqsa, leader Raed Salah's antisemitism, his absurd lies meant to inflame Arabs, and his explicit support of terror.
One only needs to glance at Raed Salah's Facebook page:
He celebrated the murder of Jews praying a year ago with the Koranic quote "'How terrible will be the mourning of those who were warned'" - The heroic operation of Jerusalem 2014/11/18"
He added a smiling face for good measure. The caption says that these pictures "gives you an appetite" for more.
He's a big fan of running over Jews in cars as well:
This is the free speech Amnesty supports - the ability to inflame thousands of followers to murder.
Salah also explicitly supports Hamas:
He has more recent posts inciting stabbing Jews for Al Aqsa as well:
And shooting them as well:
There are also many posters glorifying those who stabbed Jews to death recently.
The Islamic Movement is not a West Bank organization. Its audience isn't Arabs in Gaza or Hebron - it is trying to convince Israeli Arabs to kill Jews.
Amnesty is not an absolutist for freedom of speech. Here is what Amnesty says about incitement in other contexts:
International human rights law also obliges states to prohibit advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.Amnesty was more adamantly against incitement in Moscow in 2004:
It has been reported that an extremist organization has been calling upon people to attend a public meeting, under the slogan “Cleanse Moscow of Chechen bandits!” Amnesty International is concerned that this may amount to incitement of hatred on grounds of nationality and incitement to racially-motivated violence. Prominent Russian human rights groups have also expressed their concern regarding the demonstration.
"In the current climate, we are concerned that the meeting could lead to incidents of racially-motivated violence. The authorities must take all necessary steps to protect potential victims in line with their international obligations, and uphold constitutional guarantees in relation to equality of citizens. Such inflammatory slogans appear to be aimed at inciting racial hatred and should therefore be immediately removed from all public places in the capital", Amnesty International said.
But there apparently is an exception clause in Amnesty's opinion: when the incitement is merely to murder random Jews shopping and praying, then it is a "freedom of expression" issue, not a human rights issue.
Because, to the bigots at Amnesty, Israeli Jews just don't count as human.
(h/t Ibn Boutros)
