Massab Bashir
Gazan planned attack on PM
Palestinian man used humanitarian organization entry permit to enter Israel, collect information on Olmert in order to kill him
Palestinian Gaza resident, Massab Bashir, is suspected of planning the assassination of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other Knesset members, according to an indictment filed against him on Thursday.
Shin Bet and police forces arrested the 25-year-old on 19 April, when he made his latest trip into Israel.
After his arrest in Jerusalem, Bashir confessed to planning the attacks and taking advantage of the entry permit given him for his work with the “Doctors Without Borders” humanitarian organization.
The suspect admitted entering Israel in order to collect personal information on senior officials with the intention of assassinating them. He also said he was collaborating with members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
During his interrogation, Bashir explained that he planned the assassinations as revenge for the death of Palestinian civilians. He began collecting information on specific Knesset members over the internet, but found that they did not reside in Jerusalem.
As his entry permit only granted him entry to the capital, Bashir changed his mind, and decided to go after the prime minister instead.
The indictment shows that Bashir met with PFLP members in September 2006, and shared his plans with them. It was during this meeting that Bashir was told to collect information on Olmert’s home and daily routine.
The suspect quickly found that the prime minister’s home was under tight security, and realized he would not be able to reach Olmert. He then met with PFLP members again, and passed on the information he had learned.
Having abandoned the idea of assassinating the prime minister, Bashir chose his next victim in December: an Israeli archeologist participating in digs around Jerusalem.
In January 2007, Bashir entered Israel yet another time on behalf of the PFLP and began collecting information on the archeologist.
