Police on Thursday arrested the leading imam of the central city of Lod on suspicion of incitement to violence, terrorism and threats.
Lahav 433 officers investigators questioned Yusuf Albaz, who serves as an imam at the city's Great Mosque, over social media posts he published on Tuesday that appeared to call for violence against Israel Police.
One clip shared by him was a scene from the horror movie "Wolf Creek" that showed two people murdering traffic police officers after getting a ticket. The video was accompanied by the caption: "The best way to deal with injustice."
Police said that Albaz was set to be brought before a judge Thursday for a remand hearing.
The central mixed-city was thrown into disarray last month, with violent clashes between Jews and Arabs.
The violence between Jerusalem police and Palestinian protesters in and near the Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites, and the planned eviction of Palestinians from homes in an East Jerusalem neighborhood drove some Arab residents of Lod into the streets in protest.
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A local resident stands by his burning car during clashes between Israeli Arabs and police in Lod, May 11, 2021
(Photo: AP)
Similar disturbances, fueled by longstanding Arab grievances over discrimination and lack of opportunities, quickly spread to other mixed areas across the country.
During the unrest, Arabs targeted property belonging to the religious-nationalist community. In response, armed West Bank settlers and other ultranationalists mobilized to Lod, fanning the flames.
In Lod, two residents were killed: Musa Hassuna, 32, by a suspected Jewish gunman, and Yigal Yehoshua, 56, by a suspected group of Arab attackers.