Ayman Odeh
Ayman OdehYonatan Sindel/Flash90

MK Ayman Odeh, of the Hadash faction of the Joint List Party, praises the work of Sheikh Raed Salah, the head of the northern faction of the Islamic Movement that was outlawed, journalist Muhammad Majadele reports.

Speaking at an event in the presence of Israeli government ministers held in Umm al-Fahm on Tuesday, Odeh turned to Salah from the stage, and said to him, "I also see Sheikh Raed Salah here. We will not be divided into good and bad. I respect you very much. I very much respect what you are doing among our society, internal recruitment, strengthening the social fabric. What you are doing is a huge action. We appreciate your work."

The Israeli government outlawed the northern branch of the Islamic Movement, which Salah heads, in November of 2015.

Salah himself was jailed for incitement to terrorism and served a 16-month prison sentence before being released in December.

Salah been arrested by Israel several times in the past on charges of incitement. The radical cleric served a nine-month jail sentence after being convicted of encouraging violent attacks and inciting racism in a 2007 sermon.

He has in the past labeled Israeli leaders “terrorists” and “enemies of Allah” in a speech to Muslims in Be’er Sheva, and was also jailed for five months in 2010 for spitting at an Israeli police officer.

In recent years, Salah has been leading a campaign in the Arab sector under the title "Committees for Spreading Peace" under the auspices of the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel.