Three Israeli Arabs Arrested for Plotting to Join IS

YERUSHALAYIM

It was revealed by Israeli security services that in July the Shin Bet uncovered and thwarted a terrorist group operated inside of Israel by the Islamic State terrorist organization. In a combined operation of the Shin Bet and the Israel Police of the Carmel Area Crime Squad in the north of the country, 2 residents of the Israeli northern Arab town of Umm al-Fahm were arrested by the Shin Bet on suspicion of intending to carry out terrorist activities on behalf of IS.

A resident of the Rafaieh Bedouin settlement in the Negev was also arrested for similar offenses.

So, in addition to dealing with internal terrorist groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad, Israel must also deal with threats posed by an international group like Islamic State. While there is already international terrorism plotted and directed against Israel through the support of the Iranian government, Islamic State is no friend of Iran, a Shia Muslim nation. The organization represents Sunni Muslims and attacks Shia Muslims whom it feels are heretics.

This news was revealed just after a joint operation conducted by the IDF and other security services Sunday night captured 19 suspected terrorists. A 20th suspect was shot and killed by police after he attacked them with a knife when they attempted to arrest the suspect.

The arrested suspects from the north were identified as 21-year-old Muhammad Farouk Yosef Agbaria, and 21-year-old Abdel Mahdi Masoud Muhammad Jabarin. Jabarin was already known to security forces for his previous activity on behalf of Islamic State in which he planned a terrorist attack inside of Israel.

Authorities revealed that the 2 arrested had been under close surveillance by the security forces, given that they are identified with an extreme Salafi-Jihadist ideology.

On Monday, an indictment was filed against the two for committing security offenses.

Authorities stated that the investigation of the two by the Shin Bet uncovered their plan to go to what is described as an Islamic State combat zone abroad with the aim of joining the ranks of the terrorist organization and fighting for it. To that end, they attempted to acquire Israeli passports and consulted with an Israeli citizen, another resident of Umm Alfam, who recently returned from an Al-Qaeda combat zone in Africa.

The investigation also revealed that Abdel Mahdi contacted a local official in Nigeria in order to get directions to the district where intensive fighting by Islamic State is currently going on. It also emerged that as part of the preparations for their departure to fight in the organization’s ranks, the 2 ISIS materials with information about weapons and pictures of those killed in combat and beheadings. It was also uncovered that they held physical training and shooting ranges as part of their training and preparation for fighting in the ranks of the terrorist organization.

The security services stated that this investigation came in addition to other recent investigations that were conducted to thwart activities conducted on behalf of Islamic State in Israel, which holds the extreme Salafi-Jihadist ideology.

A resident of the Rafaieh Bedouin settlement in the Negev was also arrested.

The suspected terrorists were apprehended in a combined operation of the General Security Service and the Israel Police of the Carmel Area Crime Squad in the north of the country.

On July 22, the General Security Service, in cooperation with the Israel Police/the Negev Special Police Department, arrested Muhammad Al-Rafaieh, an Israeli citizen aged about 30, a resident of the Rafiae Diaspora in the Negev, on suspicion of committing security offenses inspired by the terrorist organization the IS.

Al-Rafaieh admitted that he identified with Islamic State and supported the organization’s ideas and goals. He even admitted to carrying out weapons training together with others in order to join the organization and fight in its ranks in Israel when “the time came.”

An indictment was filed against Al-Rafaieh by the Southern District Attorney’s Office.

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