Islamic Movement in Israel

The Islamic Movement in Israel (also known as the Islamic Movement in '48 Palestine)^[1] is an Islamist movement that advocates for Islam in Israel, particularly among Arabs and Circassians.

The movement was established and led by Abdullah Nimar Darwish from 1971 to 1991, when he was replaced by Ibrahim Sarsur. In 1996 the movement decided to participate in the Israeli parliamentary elections for the first time in history. The decision was controversial. Opponents of the participation, based in Umm el-Fahm, branched off and were named the "Northern Branch" while the supporters, based in Kfar Qasim, were named the "Southern Branch".^[2] The Southern Branch is considered more moderate, and the Northern Branch more radical.^[3][4] The Northern Branch was banned by the Israeli government in November 2015 due to alleged ties with Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.