The AP has described the Islamic Movement as “Israel’s largest Arab organization.” Raed Salah is the leader of the “northern branch” in Umm al-Fahm, which, while it does not publicly call for the destruction of Israel, “denounces secular life and denies the legitimacy of Israel as a Jewish state.”
From YNet News: “Salah: Caliph will sit in Jerusalem”
Head of the northern faction of the Islamic Movement Sheikh Raed Salah said Friday that “soon Jerusalem will be the capital of the new Muslim caliphate, and the caliph’s seat will be there.”
Salah addressed an audience of 50,000 attending the Islamic Movement’s 11th annual rally in Umm al-Fahm. …
Salah noted that history tells of many occasions in which the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem was occupied by foreign conquerors, but the occupiers left after a short time, and thus will also be the fate of the Israeli occupation.
The Israeli occupation will leave Jerusalem soon. It will happen sooner than is thought,” Salah said at the rally, which was held under the slogan “Al-Aqsa endangered”.
[…]
Salah declared that ideas to divide the site still exist, but he reassured his audience: “There are all sorts of plans to divide the al-Aqsa mosque but they will not succeed.”
During his speech the sheikh called on Arab nations to provide financial support, whether with cash or with gold, to help save the mosque and Jerusalem. He even called for the establishment of a fund for the purpose.
[…]
The former mufti of Jerusalem Ekrima Sabri and the archbishop of the Greek-Orthodox church who is considered close to the Palestinian Authority also spoke at the rally. Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Musa also sent his blessings to the assembly.