Vigilant Hotel Staff Foils Arab Terror Attack in Eilat

After raising the suspicions of hotel staff, two Arabs from Jerusalem were caught and charged with aiding the enemy in time of war and planning to commit a terror attack in the popular resort city of Eilat.

The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and Israel Police on Thursday charged two Arabs, Khaleel Nimri and Ashraf Salaymeh, with conspiring to aid the enemy in time of war. The two defendants, former residents of Jerusalem, were plotting a terror attack at a resort hotel in Eilat last month, but thanks to the vigilance of hotel staff, their plan was discovered before they had a chance to carry it out.

The would-be terrorists had no record of security-related crimes and were not members of any particular terror organization. Rather, reports indicate, they were influenced by Hamas incitement on the internet, and Nimri wanted to avenge the death of a childhood friend, Fadi Alloun, who was shot to death recently while committing a stabbing attack.

Salaymeh had aroused the hotel staff’s suspicions by asking several detailed questions, such as how many entrances there were to the hotel, while claiming to be interested in staying at the establishment. The staff members reported their concerns to security.

By: Terri Nir, United with Israel