Israeli government declares Islamic Movement in Israel an unlawful association

This morning, 17 November 2015, the Israeli government declared the Islamic Movement in Israel an unlawful association. Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon signed the order pursuant to his authority under the Defense (Emergency) Regulations dating from the British Mandate. Based on the order, any organization or individual affiliated to the movement, and any person who provides it with a service or works for it, will be considered to have committed a criminal offense and will be liable to imprisonment. In addition, the declaration allows for the confiscation of all property belonging to the movement. Following the decision, the Israeli authorities confiscated property belonging to the offices of 17 organizations operating on behalf of the Islamic Movement’s northern branch, including organizations located in Rahat, Jaffa, Nazareth and Umm al-Fahem.

In response to the announcement by the Israeli government, Adalah stated: "The outlawing of the Islamic Movement is an aggressive, draconian measure. The Israeli government is using the Emergency Regulations, which date back to the British Mandate, to suppress a political movement that represents a large part of the Palestinian public in Israel. The Islamic Movement is part of the national representative bodies and elected local bodies of the Palestinian citizens of Israel, and all its political activities are in accordance with the law. The order issued by the Defense Minister, without a hearing or trial, is a violation and crackdown on the Islamic Movement's rights to freedom of association and political expression, and harms the Palestinian-Arab minority in Israel as a whole."