Israel Matzav

'Israeli Arab' arrested in plot to murder Bush

Six 'Israeli Arabs,' two from the north and four from 'east' Jerusalem, have been arrested and indicted for allegedly setting up an al-Qaeda cell in Jerusalem. One of the six - a student at Hebrew University - has been charged with attempting to assassinate President Bush during his visit here in May.

The group, arrested in a joint Shin Bet-Israel Police investigation, includes two Hebrew University students, one of whom lived in the university dormitories with a view of a helicopter landing pad.

Using a camera, the student filmed helicopters taking off and landing and made contact via the Internet with Al-Qaida elements to discuss bombing one of Bush's helicopters on his visit for Israeli Independence Day.

The six were identified as, Ibrahim Na'ashaf, 22, from Taiba - a physics and computer science student at Hebrew University; Muhammad Najam, 24, from Nazareth - a chemistry student at the university; Yousef Sumarin, 21, from Beit Hanina; Anas Shwayke, 21, from Jebl Mukaber; Kamal Abu Kweidar, 22, from Jerusalem's Old City; and Ahmad Shwayke, 21, from Shuafat. [The first two are from the north and the last four are from Jerusalem. CiJ]

According to security officials, the six created a closed religious terror cell and contacted different Al-Qaida and Global Jihad elements over the Internet.

They were also active in the Temple Mount's Al-Aksa Mosque as well as throughout east Jerusalem.

Investigators found bomb-making instructions on the personal computers of several of the suspects.

In June, two Israeli Bedouins from the town of Rahat were arrested and charged with belonging to an al-Qaeda cell. I wonder how many more 'Israeli Arabs' (let alone Arabs from the territories, who are not citizens of the State of Israel and cannot generally travel freely within 'green line' Israel) are involved in similar activities.

This puts a whole different perspective on another story I ran earlier this week. On Monday, I reported that a 'student' who stole bomb making materials from a Hebrew University laboratory six years ago has been released from jail and wishes to be readmitted to the same laboratory from which he stole the bomb making material. The current director of the laboratory wishes to admit him. Hebrew University is a state-funded university. But don't expect the current re-education minister to step in and prevent the terrorist from being readmitted.

Given that a Hebrew U. student plotted to assassinate President Bush, and that two Hebrew U. students have been indicted for belonging to al-Qaeda, it makes a lot of sense to admit a convicted terrorist to the university to work on a doctorate in a laboratory that has explosive materials, doesn't it?

I knew you would agree.

/sarc

UPDATE 5:56 PM

More on this story here (Hat Tip: Memeorandum).

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:08 PM