Raed Salah

Sheikh Raed Salah Abu Shakra (رائد صلاح, ראאד סלאח; born 1958) is a Palestinian-Israeli religious leader from Umm al-Fahm, Israel.

He is the leader of the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel.

Salah was elected mayor of his town Umm al-Falm, an Israeli-Arab city bordering the Green Line, three times.

Salah was born in 1958 in Umm al-Fahm.

His father was a police officer and his two brothers followed in his 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."

As a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship, he came to prominence for his defense of the holy sites and his participation on the 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 they see 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 to violence and of supporting terrorism.

It 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.

In an interview in 2011, Amal Jamal, professor of politics, Tel Aviv University described Salah as offering a "warm, spiritual, inclusive" version of Islam even secularists can symphathize 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.

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."

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."