MKs visit Sheikh who eulogized Hamas leader Haniyeh, sparking new concerns

A delegation featuring Knesset members from The Joint List paid a visit this week to Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, preacher of al-Aqsa, who was issued a ban from entering Temple Mount earlier this month, following a eulogy he delivered honoring Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

The delegation included MKs Ayman Odeh, Ahmad Tibi, and Youssef Atauna from The Joint List, in addition to former MK Sami Abu Shehadeh, and chair of the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel, former MK Mohammad Barakeh.

The controversial Sheikh

In his speech, Barakeh claimed that “our people are the only ones allowed to access al-Aqsa,” and stressed the role of Jerusalemite Arabs “defending al-Aqsa,” thus indirectly convoking the propagated “al-Aqsa in danger” libel. He also denounced the “Israeli massacres” in Gaza and the West Bank and what he deemed governmental support for “criminal gangs to fragment our society from within.”

Another speaker was Sheikh Raed Salah, leader of the Northern Wing of the Islamic Movement, who recently spent time in prison himself for incitement to violence.

In February 2024, the prosecutor’s office announced that two indictments would be filed against Sabri for incitement. In the past,  he has shown support for suicide bombings and even met with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. He served as a board member of the Union of Good, an international umbrella organization of alleged ‘charity’ associations responsible for funneling funds to Hamas.

Sabri’s website is filled with historic inaccuracies and antisemitic discourse. In one instance, he quotes the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, claims that the Talmud is racist and states that Jews are a superior people, and devotes a long article to refute any Jewish claims in Israel.

Nadav Shragai, Temple Mount researcher and author of the books Temple of Dispute and Al-Aqsa Terror: from Libel to Blood, commented on the meeting with Sabri: “After Ra’ad Salah, Sabri was for years, and to some extent still is, the most senior Muslim figure who has a negative influence on what is happening on Temple Mount. His connections in the past with hostile actors such as Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Hamas, and others have often directed his conduct. He previously expressed indirect support for suicide attacks and was the first provocateur and instigator on the mountain. His advanced age did not moderate his positions.”

As for the meeting with the MKs, Shragai added that “in and of itself, it is not something new. Sabri has met with Arab MKs many times. The more important questions are: what is the purpose of these meetings, and what are its contents? His meetings and contacts over the years with Israel’s enemies outside the country’s borders are more worrying, and the same goes for some of these MKs, which is much more disturbing.”

Spokespeople from the Joint List were not readily available to answer The Jerusalem Post’s comments request.