Free Sample Essays > Middle Eastern History
War with Iraq
April 3, 2003
ISA-Israel Police Uncover Israeli Arab Islamic Jihad Cell
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
A three-member cell of Israeli Arabs from Kafr Manda, who intended to perpetrate terrorist acts in northern Israel on behalf of Islamic Jihad, was recently uncovered after an expedited ISA-Israel Police investigation that was carried out in the past few weeks; Mahmoud Abdel Khalim, Ibrahim Abdel Khamid, and Muhammad Abdel Khamid were arrested on March 17, 2003.
The three men have confessed to establishing their cell in early March 2003, with Khalim taking the initiative. Khalim's first contacts with Islamic Jihad terrorists took place last November while he was participating in an organized Israeli Arab pilgrimage to Mecca. It should be pointed out that terrorist organizations exploit the departure of Israeli Arabs to Mecca in fulfillment of religious precepts in order to recruit them for acts of terrorism against Israel.
While in Mecca, Khalim met an Islamic Jihad terrorist from the Gaza Strip. When Khalim returned to Israel, Islamic Jihad terrorists contacted him and asked him to establish a terrorist cell in order to perpetrate attacks. Khalim recruited Ibrahim Abdel Khamid and Muhammad Abdel Khamid, who agreed to work with him. The three planned to plant a bomb in a crowded place in the Haifa area and obtain weapons from Negev Bedouins.
March 31, 2003
Israel Uncover Jaljulya Terrorist Cell And Explosives Laboratory
A joint Israel Security Agency, Israel Police and Border Police operation has - for the first time - uncovered an Islamic Jihad explosives laboratory in Israel and has arrested an Israeli Arab cell led by Muhammad Masri, an Israeli citizen from Jaljulya and the son of a Palestinian woman from Tulkarm who had received an Israeli identity card in the context of family unification efforts. Two other residents of Jaljuliya - Iman Abu Kishak and Fadel Abed - have also been arrested.
The cell has previously perpetrated firebomb attacks in the Jaljulya area (in the summer of 2002 where no injuries were incurred) and recently became affiliated with the Islamic Jihad, whose militants directed the cell to prepare the explosives laboratory and use it to prepare a car-bomb attack inside Israel.
Towards the end of 2002, while on a visit to family members in Tulkarm, Muhammad Masri met with known Islamic Jihad terrorist Nimr Khalil. Khalil asked Masri to help him in infiltrating a car-bomb from the West Bank into Israel. Masri was to drive the vehicle, leave it in an appropriate place and detonate it by means of a cellular telephone. Masri agreed to examine the feasibility of such an operation.
Approximately one week later, Masri met Khalil again and told him that the infiltration of a vehicle into Israel was not feasible due to the fact that most possible routes had been blocked by dirt embankments. Khalil then suggested that he show Masri how to prepare a car bomb in Jaljuliya itself. Masri agreed but later told Khalil he had not found an appropriate place in Jaljuiya in order to prepare the car-bomb.
Khalil then suggested that Masri [next page]