JERUSALEM

 An Israeli court on Tuesday remanded Sheikh Raed Salah, leader of the Islamic movement in Israel, in custody until Thursday. 

"This is a political pursuit," Salah told reporters in the Magistrate’s Court in Rishon Letzion city in central Israel. 

He said his detention is part of "pursuing the Arab people by the Israeli government". 

The extension came hours after Israeli police detained the iconic leader from his home in the northern city of Umm al-Fahem. 

Police said Salah was arrested and interrogated "on suspicion of inciting acts of terror and supporting an unlawful organization". 

In a statement, police said Salah was arrested following a joint investigation between police and the Shin Bet, which was conducted at the behest of Israeli Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit. 

It said since the Islamic movement was outlawed, Salah spoke to the public and published a series of statement in the media regarding the movement's views. 

Salah's Islamic Movement was outlawed by Israeli authorities in 2015. Ever since, Israeli authorities detained Salah several times and shut down dozens of organizations -- including a number of charities -- over their alleged links to his group. 

Israel, meanwhile, has prohibited Salah, who is seen as an icon of the Palestinian resistance, from traveling outside the country for reasons ostensibly related to “national security”.