Sheikh Jamal Mustafa, imam and preacher at the Al-Arbaeen Mosque in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya, was released from prison on Wednesday after serving a three-year sentence. Upon returning to his neighborhood, he received a warm welcome. Mustafa, 72, a Muslim religious figure who holds Israeli residency status, previously served as a preacher at Issawiya’s central mosque, where hundreds of worshippers gather and his sermons are broadcast over a loudspeaker system. He used the mosque’s pulpit to engage in incitement. Just days after the October 7 massacre, Mustafa delivered a sermon before a large congregation in which he described Hamas’s actions as “the beginning of victory in the liberation of the homeland” and explicitly called on his listeners to join the war.
What Did the Issawiya Imam Say in His Jihad Sermon After October 7?
On October 13, 2023, just days after the October 7 massacre and amid Hamas’s call for people to march on Jerusalem and join the fighting, Mustafa delivered a sermon before a large audience. He urged his listeners to take part in the war, declaring:
“Let them fight, and you must fight, because fighting is an obligation upon the Islamic nation at this time and upon every Muslim capable of waging holy war with his own body and wealth. Anyone capable of fighting jihad is obligated to fight jihad. Fight them without mercy until the religion, O Allah. They fight us and kill, and then they will die, so Allah will count this for us as martyrdom. How beautiful is martyrdom… Anyone who abandons fighting and jihad at this time does not belong to the Islamic nation. His punishment and suffering will be in the hands of Allah, the Blessed.”
He further stated: “Fighting is an obligation, an obligation upon this nation at this time; upon every Muslim capable of carrying out jihad with his life [by sacrificing it] and his wealth. Anyone capable of carrying out jihad must do so. Victory is coming, it is already here, and the liberation of this land has begun. God willing, it will not end until we reach Al-Aqsa, Jerusalem and the entire State of Palestine.”
The Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office filed an indictment against Mustafa on the rare and serious charge of “declaring a decision to commit treason,” alongside incitement charges. He admitted to the facts as part of a plea agreement and was convicted. In November 2024, the Jerusalem District Court sentenced him to three years in prison and an additional one-year suspended sentence, emphasizing his influential religious position and the particularly sensitive timing of his statements.
On Wednesday, after completing his sentence, Mustafa was released. Footage shows him smiling and waving as he left prison and headed back to Issawiya, where he received a warm welcome. Palestinian media portrayed his release as a significant and joyful occasion, despite the case being considered one of the more serious indictments filed in Jerusalem following October 7 for incitement and declaring an intention to assist the enemy, particularly given his religious standing and influence in the neighborhood, which has long been associated with tensions.
