Haifa Court Sentences Umm al-Fahm Leader to Community Service for Terror Incitement
A Haifa court sentenced 74-year-old Raja Agbaria to nine months of community service for incitement to terror on Facebook. The prosecution demanded prison time, but the judge cited health issues and delays.
A Haifa Magistrate's Court on Tuesday sentenced Raja Agbaria, a 74-year-old resident of Umm al-Fahm and a leader of the Sons of the Village movement, to nine months of community service for incitement to terror and identifying with a terrorist organization. Agbaria was convicted of seven counts of incitement to terror and four counts of showing identification with a terrorist organization over ten Facebook posts published between 2017 and 2018.
Court Ruling and Mitigation
In addition to the community service, Agbaria was sentenced to six months of suspended imprisonment and a fine of 10,000 shekels. The case was investigated by the Shin Bet in cooperation with the Menashe regional intelligence unit of the Israel Police. The indictment was filed in September 2018.
"The appropriate sentence is actual imprisonment," Judge Dr. Zaid Falah stated in his verdict. He noted that during a period of security tension and nationalist violence, words have the power to "inflame passions, grant legitimacy to terror, and even create an ideological breeding ground for further violence." Falah added that when expression crosses into incitement to terror, "it is no longer a matter of voicing an opinion."
However, Falah decided to show leniency, primarily due to the approximately eight years that have elapsed since the indictment was filed and Agbaria's severe medical condition following a cancer diagnosis.
Defense and Public Reactions
During his interrogation, Agbaria maintained that he never broke the law, claiming, "Everything I write is under the assumption that the Shin Bet is reading everything... My goal is not to break the law, but I will continue to write and no one will shut my mouth." His defense attorneys, Dr. Hassan Jabarin and Hadeel Abu Salah from the Adalah organization, argued that the case represented a "severe criminal persecution of Palestinian political discourse and freedom of speech."
The prosecution had sought a prison term of 16 to 40 months, along with a substantial fine and extended suspended sentence. Meanwhile, the legal team advocated for community service alone.
Shai Glick, CEO of the B'Tsalmo human rights organization, strongly condemned the sentence: "We are furious about this lenient sentence. Anyone convicted of incitement to terror must serve a lengthy prison term. We have already turned to the State Attorney's Office demanding an immediate appeal against this delusional and dangerous decision."
Convicting Social Media Posts
Among the publications for which Agbaria was convicted were praising posts regarding the three terrorists from Umm al-Fahm who murdered Border Police officers Kamil Shanaan and Haiel Stawi in the July 2017 Temple Mount terror attack. Agbaria referred to the attackers as "martyrs," wished them "eternal paradise," and called on the public to visit their families. A year later, he referred to the three as "the most handsome grooms" and wrote of "glory and eternity."
Other posts addressed the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), designated in Israel as a terrorist organization, featuring its symbols, anthem, and praise for its founders and operatives. Additional posts praised Hezbollah and Hamas, including remarks regarding potential cross-border incursions into the Galilee and the shooting attack carried out by Ahmed Jarrar that killed Rabbi Raziel Shevach.
