“The two support ISIS and even see themselves as its emissaries until such time as an Islamic State [branch] is formed in Israel,” said the Israeli Shin Bet security agency.
By David Jablinowitz
Two Israeli Arabs have been indicted for allegedly planning an Islamic State-inspired terrorist attack, according to Israel’s Shin Bet domestic security agency in a statement on Thursday.
The two were identified as Amin Yassin, a 22-year-old medical student, and 28-year-old Ali Armoush, residents of the Arab city of Tamra in Lower Galilee. Armoush had been investigated in the past on suspicion of security crimes and connections to the terror group, the Shin Bet statement said.
They were arrested in July, says the Shin Bet, for alleged affiliation with ISIS. The indictment includes charges of supporting a terrorist organization, maintaining contact with a foreign agent, receiving terrorist training, and involvement in a conspiracy to commit a terrorist attack.
“The two support ISIS and even see themselves as its emissaries until such time as an Islamic State [branch] is formed in Israel,” said the Israeli security agency.
Yassin and Armoush had allegedly downloaded dozens of files containing “substantial ISIS-related content,” including videos on how to prepare bombs and gun silencers and how to fight in built-up areas, as well as a guide on how to help the terror organization.
According to the charge sheet detailed in the Shin Bet statement, Armoush was also in possession of documents that provided instructions for carrying out an assassination, abduction, waging personal jihad, producing poisons including ricin, chloroform, and napalm production, and murdering with a knife.
In 2018, the two suspects allegedly made contact with members of the ISIS, with whom they communicated via the Telegram messaging service.
The indictment accuses the two of conspiring, as well, to assassinate Yassin’s cousin, who had served as a U.S. soldier, believing that he had been involved in the killing of Muslims during the time that he served in Afghanistan. They also discussed their willingness to plant a car bomb in the center of a Jewish city in Israel, says the Shin Bet.
The prosecution requested that the court remand the suspects until the end of legal proceedings.
“The Shin Bet will continue to work with the Israel Police to expose suspects operating on behalf of the Islamic State terrorist organization and will take the necessary enforcement measures to prevent any activity that is detrimental to state security,” the agency said in its statement.