ISRAEL: Crowds greet Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the Islamic Movement in northern Israel, upon his return to Israel after winning a deportation appeal in the UK

Record ID: 397388

  • Title: ISRAEL: Crowds greet Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the Islamic Movement in northern Israel, upon his return to Israel after winning a deportation appeal in the UK
  • Date: 18th April 2012
  • Summary: UMM AL-FAHM, ISRAEL (APRIL 16, 2012) (REUTERS) ROAD SIGN READING 'UMM AL-FAHM', AT THE ENTRANCE TO SALAH'S HOME TOWN YOUTHS HOLDING ISLAMIC MOVEMENT FLAG AT ENTRANCE OF TOWN AHEAD OF SALAH'S RETURN MEDIA CREWS AND CROWD AROUND SALAH AS HE ARRIVES TO TOWN HALL SALAH KISSED BY WELCOMERS VARIOUS OF WOMEN CLAPPING MORE OF SALAH WELCOMED BY CROWD SALAH'S MOTHER DANCING
  • Embargoed: 3rd May 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel, Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: Religion,Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVA3K6MFROZWG705A73E7FUC7X3H
  • Story Text: Arab-Israeli Islamic Movement leader Sheikh Raed Salah returned to Israel late on Monday (April 16) after winning an appeal over a deportation order in Britain.
    Crowds greeted Salah at Ben Gurion airport upon his arrival, after being questioned briefly by Israeli authorities after his landing.
    Arab-Israeli legislator Taleb Al-Sana was one of those waiting in Israel's national airport for the Sheikh's return. "Today is a holiday, this is a day of victory against the Israeli-British plot which has failed. The British and their Home Secretary (Theresa May) issued an injunction and a ban (on Raed Salah's entry to the UK) without any legal basis and they have received a slap in the face. And all the Israelis, from the prime minister and up to the foreign minister conducted a lynch against Sheikh Raed Salah following that miserable warrant, and now must apologise," Al-Sana told reporters.
    "I am back to continue my path with you and for you. I am back to sacrifice for our case; God willing," Salah told his supporters, who showered him with rice.
    Later on Monday, a festive welcome reception was held for the Sheikh in his hometown of Umm al-Fahm, in northern Israel where he leads the Islamic Movement.
    Salah was detained in June last year a few days after arriving in Britain over breaching a travel ban but was later released on bail.
    Salah arrived in Britain to attend various public events and meet pro-Palestinian campaigners.
    The vocal Sheikh, an Israeli citizen, was given permission to stay in Britain for six months but he had not received the exclusion order issued by Home Secretary Theresa May two days earlier on the grounds that his presence was not conducive to the public good before he boarded his flight in Israel.
    "They (the British police and government) knew that if they will imprison Sheikh Raed's brain (arrest Raed Salah), it means they will imprison freedom of expression, imprison freedom of press, and human rights also," Salah told his supporters.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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