JERUSALEM (AP) – Police say they have arrested seven Arab Israelis who plotted bomb attacks and kidnappings of Jews in retaliation for Israel’s recent military offensive in Gaza.
Police superintendent Avid Agarissi told Israel Radio the suspects were charged with contacting “terror groups in Gaza” to train to kidnap civilians and build explosive devices. He said they wanted to carry out attacks to avenge Palestinians killed in Gaza earlier this year.
Police said the men were arrested earlier this month but details were only released Thursday for security reasons.
Israel’s Arabs comprise about 20 percent of the country’s population. They have full citizenship rights in law but often claim discrimination. Many have Palestinian relatives in the West Bank and Gaza.
Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat is the world’s premier pan-Arab daily newspaper, printed simultaneously each day on four continents in 14 cities. Launched in London in 1978, Asharq Al-Awsat has established itself as the decisive publication on pan-Arab and international affairs, offering its readers in-depth analysis and exclusive editorials, as well as the most comprehensive coverage of the entire Arab world.
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