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Temple Mount sheikh who mourned Hamas chief could lose Israeli residency

Ekrima Sabri has a long history of anti-Israel activity and is already under indictment for incitement to terrorism.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Israeli Interior Minister Mose Arbel (Shas) said Friday that he intends to revoke the residency permit of a sheikh who publicly mourned the death of terror leader Ismail Haniyeh in a sermon earlier that day at the Al Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount.

Ekrima Sa’id Sabri called the assassinated head of Hamas’ “political” bureau a martyr (shaheed) and said “We pay tribute to [him]…and we ask for mercy and Paradise for him.”

Arbel immediately sent a letter to Israel’s Attorney-General outlining Sabri’s long history of incitement to terrorism.

“For many years, Sabri has been inciting against the state, encouraging anti-Semitism and terrorism, and committing serious security offenses,” he wrote. “Among other things, Sabri has published antisemitic literature for years, he serves as a senior member of an organization that transfers donations to Hamas, supported suicide attacks and praised murderers of Israelis.”

The 85-year-old preacher has often been prohibited from leaving the country due to his anti-Israel activity, Arbel added, and “this year the State filed an indictment against him for incitement to terrorism.”

The indictment was filed in June.

Praising a person “who was among the main ones responsible for the October 7th massacre” was the continuation of the same line that showed that Sabri “does not identify with the state and its citizens, but on the contrary – seeks to destroy them,” the minister added.

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Arbel then quoted the relevant law stating that he has “the authority to revoke a permanent residence permit for committing an act that constitutes a breach of trust, such as an act of terrorism, aiding or abetting it, and other security offenses, without the need for a legal conviction.”

He asked for Gali Baharav-Miara’s cooperation in “completing the [revocation] process as soon as possible.”

The police have already detained Sabri for questioning on suspicion of incitement to terrorism due to his speech.

“The Israel Police is constantly working against instigators and incitement of any kind, anywhere,” they said in their statement, noting like Arbel that Sabri already under indictment “after he incited terrorism and praised terrorists.”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir praised the police, whom he oversees, for acting so quickly.

“My policy towards inciters is clear – zero tolerance!” he wrote on X,” and. I’m very happy that it’s being carried out.”

Sabri, who was the Mufti of Jerusalem from 1994-2006, currently serves as the head of the Supreme Muslim Council in Jerusalem and is a regular preacher at the Temple Mount mosque.

Among his anti-Israel activity, he has spoken in online conferences alongside Haniyeh and Hezbollah head Hassan Nasrallah, led at least one fundraising campaign to rebuild homes of Jerusalem terrorists that were destroyed by Israeli court order, and paid condolence calls to terrorists’ families, glorifying the murderous acts that they committed.