Israel tries Al-Aqsa imam Ekrima Sabri over alleged ‘incitement’

Israeli authorities have begun the trial of Al-Aqsa Mosque imam, Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, on charges of “incitement”, with the first hearing held on Tuesday.

The charges, filed in August 2024, relate to two condolence speeches the Palestinian imam delivered in 2022, as well as his mourning of former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh following his assassination in 2024.

Sabri’s defence team says the case forms part of a broader pattern of political, religious, and ideological persecution carried out by Israeli authorities against him in recent years.

Khaled Zabarka, head of Sabri’s legal team, told Middle East Eye that the case represents “the embodiment of the racist persecution” targeting the imam.

He said the prosecution is part of a wider effort to silence influential community and religious leaders who consistently speak out against the Israeli occupation.

Read more: Israel tries Al-Aqsa imam Ekrima Sabri over alleged ‘incitement’