The leader of the Islamic Movement in Israel on Sunday began serving a jail term for spitting at a police officer and leading a demonstration near Jerusalem's Old City in 2007. He is slated to serve five months. At the time, Raed Salah was protesting Israeli renovation work near the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
In 2003, Salah was jailed for two years on charges that his organization funneled money to Hamas.
On Sunday, before entering the jail, he warned that a regional war may arise in the region to after which Israel will set up in a Jewish temple on al-Aqsa mosque and divide the area between Muslims and Jews.
Salah said, "This war could turn into a global war." He also urged world and Arab leaders to act before the securityforces, noting that "this year is crucial for the fate of Jerusalem and the Al Aqsa Mosque."
