Sheikh Raid Salah, the head of the northern branch of the Israel Islamic Association, was arrested by police in Jerusalem on Monday. His bodyguard and five others were also taken into custody.

The sheikh was taking part in an unlawful assembly surrounding the PA declaration of Jerusalem as the Arab culture capital 2009, events that were prohibited by police on motzei Shabbos.

The Arabs are claiming police brutality, reporting a number of journalists were injured as well.

On motzei Shabbos, Public Security Minister Avi Dichter instructed police to prevent assemblies scheduled for Yerushalayim and Nazareth, centering around the Arab culture designation, which last year was bestowed on Damascus.

Arab MKs came to Salah’s defense, decrying the arrest and the decision to prohibit the assemblies.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)