Jihad leader: Israel prevented me from marrying

Sheikh Mohammad Saadi, who ranks high on Israel's most wanted list, claimed his activity with Islamic Jihad was limited to social and political work. The Shin Bet, however, believes he was involved in planning suicide attacks in Israel.

Saadi was injured during an IDF arrest raid last week but managed to escape.

"During the intifada when it was still possible to leave and enter the territories, I met her and decided she would be my wife. We developed a very good relationship and planned the wedding, but the Shin Bet interfered by pressuring her family. They told her 'he is a terrorist and murderer who blows up people in buses and kills children, stay away from him and sever ties with him.' They even interrogated the family and the daughter," Saadi told Ynet.

"It hurt me that the Israelis so blatantly influenced my life and decided whom I marry, although they know who I am and what I am involved in. All this fosters great hatred and enmity within me towards them," said the 30-year-old.

Ynet: It is legitimate for Israel to warn its citizens against contact with the commander of the Islamic Jihad, a group responsible for all suicide attacks carried out since the cease-fire was declared over a year ago.

Saadi: The Israelis know I have nothing to do with attacks. It is true, I am the Islamic Jihad leader in the Jenin area, but I am a political leader who deals with political, social and religious issues. The Israelis chose not to differentiate between a political leader and activists of the military wing. This attitude only increases hatred towards them and widens the scope of those wanting to take active part in the armed struggle against Israel.

But the organization you head was responsible for killing and injuring dozens of Israelis over the last year.

The attacks are a legitimate response to what Israel is doing to the Palestinians. The Israelis have to know that they pay the price for the actions of their government and army. After every Israeli crime against the Palestinian people there will be a response by the Palestinian resistance and the mujahideen, and the average Israeli on the street will pay the price.

Saadi said that his sister and her family, who lives in Israel, severed contact with him under pressure from the Shin Bet. "I have an older sister who lives in Basmat Tivon and she is a mother to me. When I worked in Israel I lived at her house. But lately the Shin Bet pressured them to sever contacts with me. My brother-in-law was threatened that he'd be hurt if he doesn't cut ties with me. They called him in for an interrogation and asked him to spy on me. They threatened to throw him and his family into the territories if he didn't sever all contacts."

Saadi said his older sister called another sister in Jenin and asked her to have him stop calling. "It hurt me a lot, but I understand them. The Israelis should let people live in dignity and security and only then will they have peace," he said.