Al-Aqsa preacher indicted for incitement

The Jerusalem public prosecution indicts a prominent Islamic preacher who regularly speaks from the pulpit at the Al-Aqsa Mosque for inciting violence and racism.

Sheikh Khaled al-Mughrabi was arrested last Wednesday after videos published on Palestinian networks showed him speaking against Jews in recent sermons at the mosque, atop the sensitive Temple Mount site.

The arrest came as Israeli officials have said they will crack down on speech they see as inciting others to violence, amid a fresh round of Palestinian attacks on Israelis.

Sheikh Khaled al-Mughrabi at the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court after being arrested for inciting against Israelis and Jews, on November 4, 2015. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

Israeli officials have pointed to Palestinian incitement regarding a Jewish presence on the Temple Mount as one of the driving forces behind the violence.

A video of Mughrabi delivering a sermon saying that Jews will be “wiped out” was flagged by watchdog group Palestinian Media Watch and sent to police, PMW says.

“We will go after the Jews everywhere,” Mughrabi is seen proclaiming in one video. “They won’t escape us, they won’t be able to escape us. The Children of Israel will all be wiped out.”

— Times of Israel staff contributed.