Former MK Mohammed Barakeh was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of incitement to terrorism over remarks he made at a public rally in 2022. Police said the investigation was conducted by the Samaria crime-fighting unit in the Judea and Samaria District, after prosecutors authorized a probe into incitement under Israel’s anti-terror law.
According to police, Barakeh, who previously represented Hadash-Ta'al, is suspected of publicly praising, supporting and identifying with terrorists and terrorist organizations, and of calling for struggle against the State of Israel. The case was opened after a complaint was filed, and investigators moved forward last week once they received the required legal approval.
Barakeh was brought in for questioning at the Samaria unit’s offices after a court issued a formal arrest warrant. After the interrogation, police asked the court to impose restrictions on him. The court agreed and ordered his release under conditions that include an immediate 30-day ban on entering Judea and Samaria, as well as signing undertakings and financial guarantees.
The arrest drew political criticism. J'afar Farah, the number two candidate on Hadash’s Knesset list, called it a needless arrest based on a 2022 speech and accused police of bowing to their minister instead of fighting crime. MK Ofer Cassif also condemned the arrest, calling it political persecution and saying Barakeh was interrogated in Ariel, which he described as an illegal settlement on confiscated Palestinian land.
