Arab Israelis convicted of planning attacks
Moujahed Doukan, 19, Amir Ziouti, 20, and Doubian Natsirat, 27, all residents of the Arab Israeli town of Taibeh, had planned to plant a bomb on the railroad tracks near Netanya
Three Arab Israeli citizens have been convicted of assisting the enemy at times of war at the Tel Aviv Magistrates Court on Sunday. One of the convicts was also found guilty of having contacted a foreign spy.
The convictions were made as part of a plea bargain agreed upon by the state prosecution and the defense.
Moujahed Doukan, 19, Amir Ziouti, 20, and Doubian Natsirat, 27, all residents of the Arab Israeli town of Taibeh, had planned to plant a bomb on the railroad tracks near Netanya and to smuggle explosive devices into the Azrieli Towers in Tel Aviv.
The state prosecution will ask the court to hand down a 15-year imprisonment sentence on the main convict, Doukan, and an 8-year sentence on each of the other two conspirators.
Doukan was found guilty of contacting wanted members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in the West Bank. Few years ago he moved from the Balata refugee camp to live in Taibeh after his family obtained Israeli citizenship. In 2004, a resident of the camp contacted Doukan and asked his help in smuggling explosive devices form the West Bank into Israel, and Doukan agreed to assist.
Doukan agreed to meet Ahmad Kaissi, who is wanted by the Shin Bet, and during their meeting Kaissi demanded that Doukan assist in the smuggling of three explosive devices to Israel to be used in a terror attack on the railroad tracks near Netanya.
Kaissi requested that the explosives be placed inside a carriage yet Doukan said it will be difficult for him to leave the train unnoticed afterwards and instead proposed to plant the devices on the track.
Kaissi then explained to Doukan how to place and detonate the explosives on the track.
Doukan was supposed to collect the explosives by taxi in a bag containing clothes which he will pick up from the Dir Sharaf crossing.
Following his meeting with Kaissi, Doukan succeeded in drafting Ziouti, who proposed the devices be smuggled to the Azrieli Towers in Tel Aviv.
Natsirat also showed interest in Doukan’s plans and agreed to transport the devices from the crossing to Taibeh by tractor.
On October 5, 2004, Doukan called Kaissi to ask if the explosives were ready. Doukan had planned to collect the devices on October 10, yet a day earlier he was arrested and his planned attack was foiled.
