We reported last night (Wednesday) for the first time that approval to open an investigation was received against Mohammad Barakeh, a former Knesset member, on suspicion of committing the offense of incitement to terrorism as part of a speech at a Fatah rally in Ramallah. He has been summoned for questioning and is set to be interrogated by the Crime Fighting Unit of the Samaria District in the Judea and Samaria Police District. This comes about three years after the complaint was filed against him in 2023—only recently did the Deputy State Attorney approve the move to question Barakeh.
The alleged offense took place in December 2022. At the time, he was serving as chairman of the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel. He traveled to Ramallah and delivered a speech at a rally marking 58 years since the terror organization Fatah’s founding. According to investigation materials, in his Ramallah remarks he referred to “the souls of the martyrs,” praised terrorists, compared the Israeli government to the Nazi regime, called for “popular resistance to the occupation” (Israel), and for “struggle and combat” (against Israel). Because of all this, he has been summoned for questioning.
The Judea and Samaria District of the Israel Police continues its fight against those who incite terrorism—whether online or through any other means—and works to arrest those who incite, investigate them, and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law, even after time has passed. Just over the past year, dozens of suspects have been arrested on suspicion of incitement offenses, and indictments have been filed against some of them.