Arab-Israeli Indicted for Alleged Hizbullah Plot against Top General
An Arab-Israeli man has been indicted for allegedly helping Hizbullah plan the assassination of military chief-of-staff Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi.
Tira resident Rawi Fouad Sultani, 23, was indicted at the Haifa District Court on Monday.
Sultani admitted he met a Hizbullah activist in Morocco one year ago and told him he had information on Ashkenazi, who worked out at the same gym as he did.
He said he had remained in contact with the man through e-mail and social networking site Facebook after returning to Israel, the prime minister”s office said in a statement.
In December 2008, Sultani flew to Poland where he gave to another Hizbullah member information he had collected on Ashkenazi and discussed ways in which he could be attacked.
"Hizbullah is continuing in its efforts to recruit Israelis to perpetrate terrorist missions," the statement said, adding that it "has sought to perpetrate revenge attacks against senior VIPs" since top Hizbullah military commander Imad Mughniyeh was killed in a February 2008 car bombing in Damascus.
Israel has denied any involvement in Mughniyeh”s death but senior officials have openly welcomed it.
Sultani was arrested on August 10 but a court imposed a news black-out on the arrest until Monday.