Israeli Arab Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Joining IS

YERUSHALAYIM

A Haifa court on Tuesday imposed a sentence of 50 months in prison on Wasbarin Zabidat, a resident of the Galilee Arab town of Sakhnin who, together with her husband and children, traveled to Syria in order to join the Islamic State terror group. Zabidat, as organizer of the project, received an additional year suspended sentence, and a fine of NIS 8,000.

According to the indictment handed down last October, the Zabidats had left Israel for Iraq in July 2015, traveling by way of Romania. They then entered Turkey, and from there made contact with ISIS agents, who took them into Syria. There they officially joined the group, and were sent to Mosul, where Wasbarin’s husband Wizzam Zabidat fought with IS, while his wife worked in a local hospital. Their three children went to IS-sponsored schools in Mosul. They decided to return to Israel after Wizzam Zabidat was injured in the fighting.

Wasbarin Zabidat was charged with making contact with a foreign agent, and attempting to leave Israel and join a terror group. According to the indictment, the Israeli public was “in profound danger” as a result of their adventure. All members of the family are Israeli citizens and there was grave concern that they planned to carry out terror attacks in Israel on behalf of IS. Wizzam Zabidat will be tried separately.

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