Sheikh Raed Salah Abu Shakra (; ; born 1958) is a Palestinian religious leader from Umm al-Fahm. He is the leader of the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel. Salah was elected mayor of his hometown Umm al-Falm—an Israeli-Arab city bordering the Green Line—three times. As a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship, he came to prominence for his defense of the holy sites and his participation on the MV Mavi Marmara, the Turkish boat that was stormed by Israeli navy as it attempted to break the siege of Gaza in May 2010.
Salah is a popular figure in the Muslim world and among Palestinians for his staunch defense of al-Aqsa against what he sees as Israeli attempts to take it over. He has held sermons praising the "defenders of al-Aqsa" and his Northern Branch has organized free bus trips from Palestinian localities in Israel to Jerusalem in order to strengthen the bond between Muslims and the holy sites.
Israel has accused Salah of inciting violence and supporting terrorism. Israel has arrested Salah numerous times and he has spent many years in Israeli prisons, but these arrests have increased his popularity.
In 2021, Raed Salah was awarded Al-Murabit Prize by International Union of Muslim Scholars.
Biography Salah was born in 1958 in Umm al-Fahm. His father was a police officer and his two brothers followed in their fathers footsteps. From 1977 to 1980, he studied Islamic law at Hebron University and soon he co-founded the Islamic Movement in Israel, reportedly an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood.
He has eight children, and is gained respect as a poet.
In 1989, the Movement decided to participate in elections for Palestinian localities in Israel. It won control of six city councils. Salah became mayor of his hometown Umm al-Fahm, winning 70% of the vote, a significant victory for the Movement. Salah won again in 1993 and 1997 before standing down in 2001 to focus on other issues. In particular, on the defense of al-Aqsa, which he felt was threatened by Israel.
The Movement split in 1996 into a Northern and Southern Branch as the Southern Branch intended to field candidates to run for the Knesset, Israel's national parliament. The Northern Branch, led by Salah, believed that would be tantamount to recognizing the legitimacy of the State of Israel.
Since stepping down as mayor of Umm al-Fahm, Salah has become a popular preacher among Palestinians in Israel. He has been arrested numerous times; on suspicion of fundraising for Hamas and for his popular sermons that Israeli authorities claim often involve incitement of violence. The multiple arrests has only boosted his popularity among Palestinians. Professor Elie Rekhess, director of the Adenauer Program for Jewish-Arab Studies at Tel Aviv University in 2006 stated:"If there were a poll run today to establish who is the most popular leader in Israel, he would be up there. His outer appearance might be misleading, because he's very quiet and low-keyed, but he's very powerful. He certainly sees political Islam as a major factor in the formulation in the coming years in Israel, and he sees his party as having a strong say."Roee Nahmias, writing for the Israeli news site Ynet wrote in 2007:"Since his release from prison two years ago Sheikh Salah has been steadily building a name for himself as a leader for all Muslims, this despite the fact that he lives in Israel. By focusing on social issues he has won over people from the bottom up, though his followers say his humbleness, manners and simple attire also helped establish his persona as a leader."
In an interview in 2011, Amal Jamal—professor of politics at Tel Aviv University—described Salah as offering a: "warm, spiritual, inclusive" version of Islam even secularists can sympathize with. Jamal praised Salah for being:"... a charismatic leader who has proved he is willing to pay a price for his beliefs. His position contrasts strongly with that of Knesset members who enjoy parliamentary immunity. Other politicians don't dare attack him because of his personal integrity and because they fear the backlash from the religious community."Under Salah's leadership, the Northern Branch has strengthened Muslim ties to al-Aqsa. It has organized free bus trips, allowing tens of thousands of Muslims in Israel to pray at the mosque. In 2012, the Northern Branch founded the Murabitat and the Mourabitoun, organizations that organized activities for Muslims at al-Aqsa. The organizations gained notoriety for their hostile protests against Jews who visited al-Aqsa. In 2015, Israel banned the Murabitat and the Mourabitoun and a few months later the Northern Branch itself, claiming it incited violence.
Views Arabs voting in Knesset elections
Salah discourages Palestinian-Israelis from participating and voting in Israeli national elections. He believes that Arab representation in the Israeli parliament lends it undeserved credibility:"Arab representation in the Knesset does not bring any qualitative changes. At best, the Knesset is a stage to voice Arab-Palestinian protest, nothing more. Yet there is a price for that, since it provides the Israeli establishment with a cover, as the Knesset appears to be a democratic institution, which is not the case. It remains one of the foundations of the Zionist enterprise."He however downplays the schism between the Northern and Southern Branches of the Islamic Movement, who does field candidates in national elections. He believes that it is merely a question of tactics: "the two branches are based on the same ideology and agree about all fundamentals. They disagree merely on tactics".
Israeli occupation Saleh also rejects the notion that there would be a difference between Palestinians living in Israel and those living in the Israeli-occupied West Bank:"As we see it, the Green Line means nothing, and there is no difference between Umm al-Fahm and Jenin [situated a few kilometres to the southwest, on the other side of the Green Line]. We all live under occupation, and our struggle is essentially the same."In 2011, while addressing an audience of students from Tel Aviv University, he reiterated his anti-occupation position stating: "We must keep fighting until we remove the Israeli occupation and free the holy Jerusalem".
Arabic language
Salah believes that the Arabic language is threatened in Israel by Hebrew, which is the country's main language. He believes that preserving the Arabic language is important to preserving Palestinian identity: "If we want to preserve our identity, we have to preserve the Arabic language, and if we want to preserve Arabic, we have to love it". He likens the usage of Hebrew terms in the language as an invasion:"When we allow our tongues to be invaded daily by the use of Hebrew terms, it means that our land, homes, holy places, identity and thinking in Palestine are invaded and all components of our lives as individuals and collectives are attacked."
Accusations of anti-Semitism and response Blood libel accusation
Salah has on several occasions been accused of antisemitism. His detractors claimed that he referenced the blood libel antisemitic trope during a protest in East Jerusalem in 2007, a claim he strongly denied. A statement from his office called the accusation: "an absolute lie and a malicious fabrication". It continued: "Mr Salah was arrested and questioned over these allegations in Israel and released when they were revealed as being wholly fabricated with no evidence". Salah was acquitted of charges in connection with rioting that followed the speech.
9/11 conspiracy theory
In 2011, Salah published an article in Sawt al-Haq w'al-Huriyya in which he rhetorically asked: "Were 4,000 Jewish clerks absent by chance, or was there another reason?" alluding to the conspiracy theory that the Israeli secret service—Mossad—was behind the September 11 attacks and had warned Jews not to turn up to work on the day of the attack.
Response to accusations of racism In 2011, in a statement in response to such allegations, Salah stated: "I unequivocally condemn all forms of racism, including anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and racism towards my own people, the Palestinians".
Saleh believes that Zionists want to equate anti-Zionism with antisemitism. In an interview in 2020 he said:"We are in a new phase in which it is prohibited to criticise Zionism, in the sense that they want to make anti-Zionism synonymous with antisemitism. All those who criticize Zionism now will be subject to the measures that were taken against those accused of antisemitism."
Gaza war
Salah has been active during the Gaza war. In October 2023, in an interview with AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA), he was quoted supporting an end to the war, saying: "Raise your voices and say no to war, no to the demolition of mosques, churches, and synagogues".
Many of Salah's views regarding the Gaza war are listed below via an interview with the online Al-Estikal Newspaper:
Settler incursions within the Temple Mount "These incursions are not new. They have happened before and have resurfaced today, and they will likely continue in the near future. The Israeli Occupation, according to its delusional calculations, aims to impose its religious sovereignty over al-Aqsa Mosque. It seems that Israel wants to move from its current phase, where it believes it has succeeded in imposing its occupation on al-Aqsa, to imposing religious sovereignty. Israel imagines that if it succeeds in this, it will be able to perform its Talmudic prayers openly at al-Aqsa. The next steps would include offering sacrifices for its festivals at the mosque and then publicly moving towards constructing an alleged temple on al-Aqsa's grounds. I firmly believe that all of these delusions will backfire, and Israel will realize that al-Aqsa is a Qur'anic truth that endures just as the Quran itself does. al-Aqsa [sic] remains the same today as it was in the past and will remain so until the Day of Judgment."
Arab world's response to the Gaza genocide "The official Arab response has been disappointing, including the roles of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. As for the people, they are largely powerless. If given the freedom to express themselves fully, the Arab world would have witnessed mass protests and demonstrations by the millions over the past ten months since the Gaza tragedy, creating a resounding outcry throughout the Arab nations. Such mobilization would likely continue until the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is resolved. Unfortunately, the Arab people are in a helpless situation. We continue to love them and hope for their true freedom and independence, just as we wish for our Palestinian people."
Arab states' normalization of relations with Israel "The U.S. and Israeli institutions, through the normalization process with certain Arab and Gulf states—known as the Abraham Accords—hoped to sideline the Palestinian issue, including the issues of Jerusalem and the al-Aqsa Mosque. It seems as though these issues have been disregarded by those involved in this normalization, as if there are no obstacles to opening embassies, airports, and facilitating travel and visits between these normalizing countries and Israel.
As a result, Israel has been able to monopolize the Palestinian cause, the issue of Jerusalem, and the al-Aqsa Mosque, linking the fate of these normalizing states to that of Israel, rather than to Palestinian rights or the sanctity of Jerusalem and al-Aqsa. This has allowed Israel to focus on Gaza, leading to a worsening humanitarian crisis that is broadcast live for the world to see."
Global response to the Gaza war