JERUSALEM: Israeli authorities said on Monday they have arrested an Arab-Israeli accused of helping Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia plan the assassination of armed forces chief Gabi Ashkenazi.
Rawi Fuad Sultani, 23, admitted he met a Hezbollah activist in Morocco one year ago and told him he had information on Ashkenazi, who worked out at the same gym, the prime minister’s office said in a statement.
He said he had remained in contact with the man through e-mail and social networking site Facebook after returning to Israel, it added.
In December 2008, Sultani flew to Poland where he gave another Hezbollah member information he had collected on Ashkenazi and discussed ways in which he could be attacked.
“Hezbollah is continuing in its efforts to recruit Israelis to perpetrate terrorist missions,” the statement said. It said the Shiite group “has sought to perpetrate revenge attacks against senior VIPs” since top Hezbollah military commander Imad Mugnieh was killed in a February 2008 car bombing in Damascus.
Israel, which fought war with Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006, has denied any involvement in Mugnieh’s killing but senior officials have openly welcomed his death. Sultani was to be formally indicted on Monday. He was arrested on Aug. 10 but a court imposed a news black-out until now.
