Kamal Hatib, deputy of Israel Islamic Association Northern Branch Leader Sheikh Raed Salah has been released from custody on Tuesday, 5 Menachem Av, and sent to house arrest for five days.

Hatib was taken into custody a day earlier on suspicion of inciting terrorism and making public racist slurs in his column in the Arabic media. He was taken into custody in Kfar Kana in the Nazareth area.

Hatib’s attorney told reporters upon his release that he was sent to house arrest simply to prevent him from taking part in a protest on behalf of hunger-striking security prisoner Bilal Kaiyad.

Raed Salah has been arrested and imprisoned by Israel on a number of occasions http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/415472/sheikh-raid-salah-enters-prison-to-serve-his-jail-term.html for his pro-Hamas activities, which includes fundraising. It has often been alleged the Israel Islamic Association Northern Branch is nothing but a legal Israeli authorized charitable front for Hamas. This led to the Security Cabinet banning the organization http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/361956/photos-security-cabinet-bans-the-northern-branch-of-the-israel-islamic-movement.html after sufficient evidence was gathered to substantiate the allegations.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)