Israel arrests Golan activist for ‘incitement’
Al Maqt’s speeches led to crowds stopping an Israeli football match in the occupied area
Ramallah: The Nazareth Central Court has sentenced Sudki Al Maqt to two weeks of house arrest, ordered him to pay a fine of 5,000 shekels (Dh5,037) and banned him from approaching the stadium next to his residence in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights for three months.
According to a statement released on Sunday by the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, Al Maqt who is a released prisoner and is known as the dean of the Golan prisoners after serving 28 years in Israeli prisons, prevented an Israeli football league match from being organised in the Majdal Shams stadium next to his house.
Prior to the football match scheduled for March 23, Al Maqt delivered a fiery speech announcing his position which opposed the teams from playing in the stadium.
“Israel does not have the right to organise Israeli football league matches in this stadium which is on occupied Syrian territory,” he told Golan crowds.
The crowds supported him in his position and prevented the teams from entering the stadium to play the match.
“Playing this match in this particular stadium would mean that Al Golan Heights are Israeli land and Israel has the right to annex it,” he added. “This is absolutely not the case and the Golan Heights is purely Syrian occupied territory over which Israel does not have any right,” he said.
Israeli police arrested Al Maqt who was later allowed to post bail. However, the Israeli Public Prosecution pressed charges against Al Maqt who was summoned to Nazareth Central Court where he was officially accused of “inciting the public against the state of Israel” and of “leading a public event which led to disorder”.
The court demanded an apology from Al Maqt on his position to spare himself a tough court verdict, but Al Maqt refused to provide an apology.
The 47-year-old Al Maqt served 28 years behind Israeli bars after the Israeli military prosecution accused him of setting up underground resistance cells to confront the Israeli occupation in the Golan Heights. Al Maqt was released from prison on August 22, 2012.
