Israeli Arab’s family suspect he joined IS
Relatives have not heard from the 24-year-old since he left for Turkey a month ago and became suspicious after finding a letter stating his intention to join the terror group in Syria.
The young man made no contact with his family after his trip, but his family said they only became suspicious after a few days, when they found a letter he had left behind explaining that he had divorced his wife and was planning to join IS.
“We don’t know who made him think of such an idea and who supported him,” said a relative. “We did not notice him supporting certain groups and did not think he was capable of doing such a thing. We also didn’t notice him supporting other groups. He always acted normally and without any changes in his life. We hope he sees this publication and understand that we are worried about him and waiting for him to return.”
The Shin Bet confirmed Tuesday that it was aware of the young man who left for Turkey about a month ago and never returned. More than 40 Arab Israelis have joined Israel in recent years, and at least five are known to have died in battle there. Dozens of indictments have been issued against IS members who returned to Israel and against citizens who expressed support for the group.
A resident of the town in which the man lived added: “Sometimes I would hear from the residents about young people who joined IS and I wasn’t surprised, but it’s hard to believe about this guy. I know him well and there is no way he would sneak into Syria.”
