Islamic Movement fundraising to pay fines for illegal Arab construction in Jerusalem

The campaign was publicized by Sheikh Safouat Frej, deputy chairman of the Southern Faction of the Islamic Movement and one of the religious figures behind Mansour Abbas’ Islamic Ra’am party in the Knesset.

By Aryeh Savir, TPS

The Southern Faction of the Islamic Movement, through the Al-Aqsa Association, has launched a fundraising campaign at the sum of about NIS 300,000 for the payment of fines imposed on construction offenders in the Arab neighborhood of Beit Safafa in Jerusalem, with the objective of preventing the destruction of the illegally built houses.

In a post published by Sheikh Safouat Frej, deputy chairman of the Southern Faction of the Islamic Movement and one of the religious figures behind Mansour Abbas’ Islamic Ra’am (United Arab List) party in the Knesset, he wrote that “you must contribute to the coverage of the fine imposed by the Israeli court … to prevent the displacement of four families from Jerusalem.”

He further invited supporters to “be a partner in the stability of your Jerusalem brothers in their homes and reinforce their strength.”

In response to the fundraising campaign, Maor Tzemach, chairman of NGO Lach Yerushalayim (Your Jerusalem), said that “the octopus arms of the Southern Faction of the Islamic Movement must not be allowed to send their tentacles and stir up civil society in eastern Jerusalem.”

“This Muslim activity mobilizes Jerusalem residents to support the Islamic movement and its anti-Zionist goals,” he warned.

The Im Tirtzu Zionist organization stated that “the Southern Faction of the Islamic Movement has never abandoned its aspiration to erase the State of Israel from the map. Its actions testify to this and the fact that the Israeli government depends on the party representing it is an inconceivable absurdity.”

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s coalition relies on the support of the Ra’am party.

Im Tirzu called on “all Zionist party leaders” in the Knesset to “wake up and remove this disgrace from the country.”

The Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement is a designated terrorist organization in Israel.