Assassination attempt?
Irish newspaper says Israel attempted to assassinate expelled Palestinian terrorist who resides in Dublin; Israel denies accusations
Irish intelligence authorities tracked down two Israeli intelligence (Mossad) agents who were apparently attempting to enter Ireland to assist in the assassination of a senior Palestinian terrorist, Irish newspaper Evening Herald reported.
According to the report, Irish intelligence authorities tracked down the agents in January as they were gathering intelligence for an operation that was supposed to culminate with the Palestinian militant’s death.
The Palestinian militant, Jihad Jaara, was a senior member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror organization until he was expelled to Europe, along with 12 of his counterparts, following a standoff with IDF troops at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in 2002.
'I'm only afraid of God'
Israeli security authorities contend that Jaara, who currently resides in Dublin, continues to support terror attacks against Israel from abroad.
Jaara said he does not fear for his life and hopes the exiled Palestinians would be able to return to their families in good health.
“Life is in the hands of God, not in the hands of (Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon and his Mossad,” he said.
Irish officers visited him at his home and promised not to let any harm come to him while on Irish soil, Jaara told Ynet.
"I clarified to the officers I am not safe in Israel and that the Israelis always violate their agreements and committments," he said. "No official in the world trusts Israel."
He said he was unable to obtain any specific details from the officers regarding the incident reported by the Evening Herald.
"The Israelis need to know I'm not afraid of them, Sharon or the Mossad, he said. "I'm only afraid of God."
Return of exiles delayed
The Foreign Ministry said in response the reports regarding Israel’s plan to assassinate Jaara are false.
The Evening Herald said various officials have attempted to keep the affair under wraps so as not to obstruct the positive political atmosphere in the Middle East.
Ireland has not filed an official complaint against Israel as of yet, but Irish security sources said the country is “concerned.”
The remaining Palestinians who were expelled following the standoff with IDF forces at the Church of the Nativity in 2002 are expected to return to their West Bank homes within the framework of Israel’s goodwill gestures toward the Palestinians.
However, the return of the rest of the exiles is delayed until the control over Palestinian West Bank towns is transferred to the Palestinian Authority; the transfer itself has been stalled due the recent suicide bombing attack in Tel Aviv that left five Israelis dead.
- Ali Waked and Doron Sheffer contributed to this article
