Israel Police arrested the mayor of Bidya - an Arab town in the West Bank - for online incitement, the police announced on Thursday.
Officers from the Modi'in Illit station arrested the mayor on suspicion of serious incitement against the State of Israel, IDF soldiers, and security forces. An indictment was filed against him on Wednesday, March 5, with the intention of keeping him in custody until the end of legal proceedings.
The arrest took place on February 19, 2025, following extensive monitoring of the mayor's social media posts. The police reported that his online content indicated an attempt to influence public opinion in the area where he holds territorial authority.
The police said he published content that "could harm public order and safety, expressing praise, sympathy, or support for a hostile organization, its actions, and its objectives."
On October 7, 2023, the day Hamas attacked Israel, he posted a video showing armed masked men, accompanied by an Arabic song with lyrics that translate to "I am coming for you, my enemy, From every wall and house, we descend with axes and knives, we declare a people's war, We will bring you down with fire."
On August 2, 2024, he posted a picture of Hamas founder Ahmed Yassin, alongside Yasser Arafat, with the words: "May God bless them both and all the martyrs."
Recent police activity
In recent weeks, Israel Police has apprehended multiple individuals on suspicion of incitement and support for terror.
On Tuesday, officers arrested a resident of Jerusalem's Old City, for writing “May god have mercy on your soul" next to a picture of terrorists who carried out deadly attack, as well as a resident of east Jerusalem after he posted a video of al-Aqsa Mosque accompanied by an audio of a Hamas spokesperson "inciting and encouraging acts of terrorism."
In February, a resident of east Jerusalem was arrested after he was found to be in possession of paraphernalia associated with Hamas.
In recent weeks, the police conducted a targeted operation in east Jerusalem, in which more than 20 weapons of various types were discovered, over 100 individuals suspected of incitement and disorder were arrested, and over 600 illegal residents were apprehended.