Politicsראאד סלאח

Raed Salah

Raed Salah is a religious leader from Umm al-Fahm who leads the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel and served as mayor of Umm al-Fahm.

born 1956Leading the Islamic Movement's Northern BranchMayor of Umm al-FahmCampaigning over al-AqsaThe 2010 Mavi Marmara voyage

Born: 10 November 1956, Umm al-Fahm
Occupation: politician
Education: Hebron University

Raed Salah was born in 1956 in Umm al-Fahm

Salah was born in Umm al-Fahm. His father served as a police officer, and two of his brothers also joined the police. One of his brothers is the painter Asem Abu Shakra.

From 1977 to 1980 he studied Islamic law in Hebron. He then joined the Islamic Movement in Israel and wrote for its newspaper as a columnist and editor until 1989.

In 1989 he was elected mayor of Umm al-Fahm. He later left the post to focus on religious activity and on al-Aqsa. In 1996 the movement split, and Salah led the Northern Branch, which opposed running for the Knesset.

Israel accused him of incitement and of supporting terrorism, and he was arrested many times. In January 2010 he was convicted of rioting and assaulting a police officer and sentenced to 9 months in prison. In 2015 Israel banned the Northern Branch.

In 2010 he took part in the Mavi Marmara voyage toward Gaza. In 2017 he founded a group to address violence in Arab society, which was declared a terrorist organization in January 2025.