Israel and the northern branch of the Islamic movement

The Israeli Islamic Movement's Northern Branch and its leader Sheikh Ra'id Salah pose a complex and multi-dimensional challenge for the State of Israel: political, national, socioeconomic and religious. Its most prominent manifestation is the movement's striving for separatism and open defiance of Israel's Jewish character. The government has sought - with limited success - to draw 'red lines' for the movement and its leaders and its occasional threats of harsher measures, including outlawing the movement, have failed to achieve the desired result.