Despite 11 convictions for incitement to terrorism: Raja Agbaria will not serve a prison sentence

The Haifa Magistrate's Court imposed a lenient sentence of nine months of community service on Raja Agbaria, who was convicted of 11 counts of incitement to terrorism and identification with a terrorist organization. Judge Zaid Falah justified the leniency due to the passage of time and the defendant's severe medical condition, as cancer was discovered. The prosecution had requested a prison sentence of 16 to 40 months.

The Haifa Magistrate's Court today (Tuesday) imposed a lenient sentence of nine months of community service on Raja Agbaria, 74, from Umm al-Fahm, a leader of the "Sons of the Village" movement. Agbaria was convicted of seven counts of incitement to terrorism and four counts of publicly identifying with a terrorist organization, for ten posts he uploaded to Facebook in 2017-2018. The posts included praise for the terrorists who carried out the attack on the Temple Mount in July 2017, and support for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Hezbollah, and Hamas. Judge Dr. Zaid Falah ruled that the appropriate sentence was actual imprisonment, but decided to be lenient due to the passage of about eight years since the indictment was filed and due to Agbaria's severe medical condition, as cancer was discovered. In addition, he was given a six-month suspended sentence and a fine of 10,000 shekels. The prosecution had requested that he be sent to prison for 16 to 40 months. Agbaria claimed it was political persecution. The Adalah organization, which represented him, stated that this was "a severe criminal persecution of Palestinian political discourse." Shai Glick, CEO of "Betzalmo," expressed outrage at the lenient sentence and called for an appeal.