Former Knesset member Mohammed Barakeh has been summoned for police questioning after authorities approved opening an investigation into suspected incitement to terrorism. The case centers on a speech he gave at a Fatah rally in Ramallah, where investigators say he praised attackers and called for struggle against Israel.
The approval to question Barakeh came only recently, about three years after the complaint was filed. According to the report, the deputy state attorney authorized the move, and Barakeh is expected to be questioned by the Samaria crime-fighting unit in Israel Police’s Judea and Samaria District.
The alleged offense dates to December 2022, when Barakeh was serving as chairman of the Higher Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel. He traveled to Ramallah for a ceremony marking 58 years since Fatah’s founding.
Investigative material reportedly shows that in the speech he referred to the “souls of the martyrs,” praised militants, compared the Israeli government to a Nazi regime, and called for “popular resistance to the occupation” and for “struggle and fighting” against Israel. The report said the district continues to act against people suspected of incitement, online and through other means, and that dozens have been arrested over the past year, with indictments filed in some cases.
