An Israeli-Arab religious leader who preaches holy war is attracting support from hundreds of people, fueling fears among Israel’s security services that al-Qaeda is poised to establish a foothold in the country.
Sheikh Nazem Abu Salim, 40, an Israeli citizen and imam at the most prominent mosque in Nazareth – Shihab al-Din – has called for jihad in an Islamic magazine he publishes.
“The jihad should take place in Jerusalem,” Nazem, a biochemistry graduate of Beersheba University, wrote in the magazine Ansar Allah.
Nazem also distributes one of the most important books of the global jihad, Al-Taifa al-Mansura. Written in 1993, it directs Islamic fundamentalists to take over all Islamic communities.