Sheikh Kamal Khatib Convicted of "Incitement to Violence and Terrorism" Charges

SadaNews - On Monday, the Magistrate Court in Nazareth convicted Sheikh Kamal Khatib from Kafr Kana of "inciting terrorism and violence", while acquitting him of the charge of "identifying with a terrorist organization". The three charges relate to two posts he made on the social media platform "Facebook" and a sermon he delivered at a follow-up committee event during the events of the 'Great March of Return' in May 2021.

Dozens of Sheikh Khatib's relatives, supporters, political and social figures, and activists attended the session, while court security restricted the number of attendees in the hall, leaving most of them outside the court building.

Sheikh Kamal Khatib stated after the court session and conviction, "This conviction is an honor for me, and the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque is our exclusive right and non-negotiable. Our will shall not be broken as a result of these accusations, and I have dedicated myself and my property for my people, and we will not concede any of our constants."

He pointed out that "history will write that Israeli courts are prosecuting the Holy Quran, the Sunnah, the Arabic language, and Palestinian folklore. We do not treat our constants with whims, as we are owners of allegiance, and we were born and will die for it."

Director of the "Adalah" legal center, Attorney Hassan Jabareen, stated that "the court convicted Sheikh Khatib of inciting violence and terrorism and acquitted him of the charge of identifying with a terrorist organization, and naturally, we will appeal to the Central Court against this decision."

He continued that "a judge in the Central Court had previously stated in one of the earlier rulings that the post through which Sheikh Kamal Khatib criticized the Israeli police in Yafo does not contain any incitement to violence, and thus the posts and the sermon did not deviate from the consensus of Arab-Palestinian Islam within the interior and do not contain any incitement."

Chairman of the Higher Follow-up Committee, Muhammad Barakeh, mentioned that "when they prosecute Sheikh Kamal Khatib, they are prosecuting the positions of Palestinian society as a whole, and from the first day, it is very clear that this is politically targeted prosecution."

He concluded by stating, "Since the 7th of October 2023, we have been particularly subjected to fear and panic tactics and the distortion and neutralization of our political and national line, and under no circumstances or prosecution or terror can we deny our steadfast allegiance to our Palestinian people and victory for the blood of our people in Gaza."

It is noteworthy that the indictment included a post on "Facebook" on April 19, 2021, regarding the assaults carried out by the Israeli police against known figures in Yafo at that time. The post condemned the systematic violence exercised by the police against activists and highlighted the assaults targeting local leaders.

The second post was published on "Facebook" on April 25, 2021, and included a historical and political analysis in which Sheikh Kamal Khatib warned that the escalating incitement and systematic violations against Palestinians and the repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque could create an atmosphere reminiscent of the Buraq Revolution of 1929, which resulted in casualties amongst Arabs and Jews due to tensions fueled by extremist elements. Khatib held the Israeli establishment responsible for creating the conditions for the repetition of this violent scenario, warning of the catastrophic consequences of such a path.

The indictment also included a sermon delivered by Sheikh Kamal Khatib during an event organized by the Higher Follow-up Committee on May 11, 2021, where he greeted the large numbers of worshippers who flocked to Al-Aqsa Mosque for i'tikaf (spiritual retreat) and prayer, in an attempt to protect it from police and settler incursions, and praised their efforts and stances.

The prosecution claimed that these posts "represent support for terrorist organizations and incitement to acts of violence", in the context of the events that occurred in the country during that period, alleging that his statements could contribute to "igniting security situations and inciting violence against the state and its security forces".

It insisted at the time on actual detention until the legal procedures were completed, to which the defense team, composed of members from the "Adalah" and "Mizan" organizations, responded with an appeal to the Central Court. After nearly a month, the court canceled the detention order on June 20, 2021, releasing Khatib under restrictive conditions, including banning him from speaking, gathering, and using the internet for 90 days, along with a financial bond and expulsion from his hometown for 45 days.

Source: Arabs 48