Indicted. Khaled Kashkush
Photo: Yaron Brener
Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah
Photo: AFP
Arab-Israeli suspected of contacting Hizbullah agent
Qalansuwa resident accused of receiving money from Lebanese national in Germany in exchange for information on potential candidates for recruitment to Shiite group
A 29-year-old resident of the Arab-Israeli town of Qalansuwa was charged at the Petah Tikva District Court Wednesday with contacting a foreign agent with ties to Hizbullah and disclosing information to the enemy.
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Khaled Kashkush was apprehended at Ben-Gurion Airport last month in a joint operation conducted by the Shin Bet and Israel Police. A media gag order on the affair was lifted Wednesday.
According to the first indictment, during his medical studies in Germany Kashkush met once every two weeks with Dr. Hisham Hassan, a Lebanese national who heads a Hizbullah-affiliated charitable organization that contributes to the children of slain Shiite group members.
The second indictment said that while in Germany Kashkush was given 2,000 euros from another Lebanese national with ties to Hizbullah in order to assist the Shiite group in its war on Israel. The Lebanese handler asked the accused to look into the possibility of working at the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, where many Israeli soldiers who were wounded during the Second Lebanon War are still being treated and where he would possibly be able to get his hands on sensitive information.
During another meeting between the two in Germany last year, Kashkush gave the Lebanese national details on other Arab-Israelis who reside in Germany who would possibly be willing to provide Hizbullah with intelligence information. The details focused on the Arabs' political views, financial status and religious inclinations. Kashkush received an additional 4,000 euros for his efforts.
In 2008 the Lebanese handler presented Kashkush with aerial photos of Qalansuwa taken from Google Earth and asked him for explanations on the town and its surroundings. The man also urged the Arab-Israeli to check whether other Qalansuwa natives residing in Germany were experiencing financial difficulties and could be possible candidates for recruitment to Hizbullah.
Kashkush received another 5,000 euros during the final meeting, according to the indictment.
