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Photo: Motti Kimchi
Salah in court
Photo: Motti Kimchi

Israeli Arab who crossed into Syria on paraglider indicted

Nidal Salah from Jaljulia, who unlawfully left Israel to join ISIS in October 2015, faces series of charges including contact with a foreign agent, membership in a terror organization, and providing information to an enemy.

Nidal Salah from Jaljulia, who crossed the border into Israel in October 2015 using a paraglider to join ISIS, was indicted Wednesday.

 

 

Among other things, he was charged with contact with a foreign agent, unlawfully leaving the country, membership in a terror organization, and providing information to an enemy.

 

According to the indictment, between July to October 2015, the defendant and his accomplices—residents of Jaljulia—conspired to leave Israel for Syria to join the ranks of the terrorist organization ISIS.

 

UN peacekeeping forces searching for Salah (Photo: Efi Shrir)
UN peacekeeping forces searching for Salah (Photo: Efi Shrir)

  

They decided that while some of them will fly from Israel to Turkey and from there cross the border into Syria, the defendant and his accomplice, Hussam Hajala, will cross the border directly to Syria from Israel by paragliding. To that end, the two purchased paragliders, learned how to operate them by watching instruction videos online, and practiced their use in open areas near Jaljulia. At some point, the others backed out for various reasons.

 

After examining the Israeli area near the border with Syria, Salah and Hussam arrived with their paragliders to an exit point they chose in the Golan Heights on October 17, 2015, and tried to take off. But because of a technical problem in Hussam's paraglider, his attempts to take off did not succeed, so the two decided to return to their homes in Jaljulia.

 

A week later, at noontime, Salah drove back to the exit point, from which he took off in the direction of Syria. While in the air, he managed to avoid gunfire opened in his direction from the Syrian side of the border and landed successfully in Syria.

 

IDF forces looking for Salah (Photo: EPA)
IDF forces looking for Salah (Photo: EPA)

  

Salah spent over two and a half years in Syria with ISIS forces and members. According to the indictment, Salah came into contact and was in contact with many ISIS members in various locations throughout Syria and took part in the murderous military and operational activity of the terror group.

 

Early in his stay in Syria, the defendant was detained, imprisoned, and brutally interrogated by various ISIS elements, who used threats, violence and torture to extract different information about Israel from Salah. He tried to escape ISIS in various ways, but was caught.

 

Salah told his interrogators that he had arrived in Syria in order to join their ranks, and eventually succeeded in winning their trust and was released.

 

Following his release, Salah officially joined ISIS. Among his activities as a member of the terror group, the defendant watched videos produced by ISIS, including instructions on how to prepare explosive devices; contacted various elements in Israel and asked them to join ISIS at the organization's behest; participated in improvised drills and shooting ranges with various weapons; had his photo taken while armed with these weapons and sent the photos to relatives and friends in Israel; helped ISIS translate various content from Hebrew into Arabic; and more.

 

He was assigned to ISIS's "production and development branch," where he worked for a monthly salary at a factory developing and manufacturing drones for aerial surveillance and for carrying explosives. Salah was in charge of the steering system of the aircraft. As part of his job, he also took part in an experiment on one of the explosive aircrafts, and participated in discussions about the possibility of using such aircraft against Israel.

 

The defendant also tried to build a small helicopter for ISIS, reaching advanced stages of construction.

 

In addition, Salah fought in battles, received money from the terror organization from time to time, and willingly helped ISIS recruit members inside Israel.

 

He fell captive while fighting alongside ISIS against the Syrian army, but was able to escape.

 

After his escape, at the end of May, Salah crossed the border into Turkey with the help of smuggler. On June 21 he flew to Israel, accompanied by his family and a lawyer, and was arrested upon landing at Ben Gurion Airport.

 

He was questioned and investigated by the Shin Bet and Israel Police.

 

The other six members of Salah's cell have already been convicted and sentenced. Their punishments range from one to three years in prison.

 



 

 


פרסום ראשון: 07.18.18, 11:21
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