Far-right activists arrested en route to unauthorized anti-mosque protest

Police on Wednesday arrested several members of a far-right Jewish group as they made their way to the Arab town of Umm al-Fahm for an illegal protest.

The bus full of activists was pulled over on Route 6 near Taybeh on its  way to the protest. Police detained several members of Otzmah Yeduhit, including three well-known far-right activists: Michael Ben Ari, Baruch Marzel, and Itamar Ben Gvir.

Police said the group was not granted permission to stage a protest outside the city mosque over fears the demonstration would lead to violent clashes.

Otzma Yeduhit is petitioning to have the main mosque in Umm al-Fahm permanently shuttered over its role in allegedly radicalizing three local residents who carried out a deadly terror attack on the Temple Mount last year.

At the intersection where the group was pulled over, a number of activists were seen angrily confronting police officers.

“You have no right to set conditions for us,” one activist shouted at a police officer who arrived at the scene, while another accused police of supporting terrorism.

In response, the policeman told the activists that they were “going against the rules.”

“An assessment by security officials warns that your presence in Umm al-Fahm presents a real danger to human life and public safety,” he said.