March in Umm Al-Fahm
March in Umm Al-FahmFlash 90

The Israeli police will allow the “Otzma Yehudit” faction to hold a protest in front of the al Farouk mosque in the Arab-Israeli city of Umm al-Fahm.

The activists will be demonstrating with signs calling for the enforcement of the law in the city and demanding that the mosque, which has been a base of incitement, be closed.

Towards the end of last week, a Supreme Court hearing had been scheduled for a petition brought by Otzma Yehudit. A few days beforehand, the police had contacted the faction’s attorney, Itamar Ben-Gvir to inform him that the police would rescind the decision to ban the march.

"This is a very small step that we hope will lead to a significant change and enforcement in Umm al-Fahm,” said former Knesset Member, Michael Ben-Ari in response to the decision.

Explaining the reasons behind the protest, Ben-Ari said, “It is inconceivable that in the city and in the State of Israel, a mosque whose leaders incite to murder Jews should be operating.”

The party said in a statement that two Druze policemen were murdered in a terror attack on the Temple Mount back in July of 2017 directly as a result of incitement in the mosque. Following the attack, Otzma Yehudit had planned a demonstration in Umm al-Fahm, but the commander of Israel’s northern district refused and insisted that the protest be near the Megiddo prison.

“Our arrival in Umm al-Fahm is an indication that we value those who give their lives for the sake of the nation and the common enemy of all of us is whoever wants to wipe out the Jewish state and incite against Israeli civilians,” said Otzma Yehudit member, Baruch Marzel.