Two Bedouin from Rahat have been held in custody since late May on suspicion of links to Al-Qaida and plans to carry out terrorist attacks in Israel. The two men, who are active in the Islamic Movement in Israel, have admitted to the suspicions against them.

The arrests were made public yesterday following indictments filed against the two at the Be'er Sheva District Court.

Taher Abu Shut, 21, and Omar Abu-Shut, 20, both from Rahat in the Negev, are suspected of providing Al-Qaida with a list of possible targets for large-scale terror attacks in Israel. The list included Ben-Gurion International Airport and the Azrieli Towers in Tel Aviv.

The arrests resulted from a concerted effort by the Shin Bet security service, the police and the Border Police.

The Shin Bet investigation had focused on Taher, who had turned toward radical Islam in recent years. The Shin Bet concluded that he had contacted Al-Qaida through the Internet and agreed to participate in terrorist activities inside Israel, offering details on the location of Israel Defense Forces camps, strategic installations and crowded public places that could be targeted.


Comment: He contacted Al-CIAda, or they contacted him? Are we seeing the genesis of false-flag terror attacks in reports like these, or is propaganda being generated to induce support for taking away the rights of Israeli Arabs?


He is also charged with providing information on areas in the West Bank through which it is possible to sneak into Israel.

Taher is charged with seeking to contact Al-Qaida terrorists in Saudi Arabia and Iraq, in order to use these contacts in attacks on Israel.

Omar is also accused of assisting in the efforts to organize terrorist organizations.

But it is still hard to assess the severity of the case; it is possible that its significance stems from it being the first of its kind. For the first time, Israeli Arabs are on trial for links to what the Shin Bet has described as Al-Qaida.

For the past five years there have been intelligence assessments warning that international jihadist groups have considered Israel to be an important target.

The security forces have also uncovered a number of indirect links to the international jihad by people in the territories.

The use of Israeli Arabs to collect basic intelligence on potential targets is the first stage of any such planning, and has been done in the past.