Arab Israelis accused of planning stabbing, shooting attacks

3 men allegedly plotted assaults on Israeli civilians, soldiers in Jerusalem, Acre and on a major Galilee highway

Three Arab men from a Western Galilee town were charged Wednesday with plotting shooting and stabbing attacks against Israelis on a number of occasions.

The three, residents of Jadeidi-Makr, were indicted on charges of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit a crime, accessory to attempted murder and a number of weapons offenses at the Haifa District Court.

The Shin Bet security service said the suspects were “inspired” by Nashat Milhelm, an Arab Israeli terrorist who killed three people in Tel Aviv in January.

In the weeks following Milhem’s attack, the three formulated a plan to kill Israeli civilians or soldiers at the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City, according to the charge sheet.

Armed with knives, the three came to the capital intending to carry out the attack, but at the last minute decided against it. The court document noted they were “concerned” a knife attack wouldn’t inflict serious enough injuries.

The second time, one of them, again armed with a knife, headed to the area but the attack was foiled by security forces, Channel 10 reported.

Back at Jadeidi-Makr, the trio planned another attack, this time picking the nearby Achihod junction as the target. The plan never came to fruition.

Last month, one of the suspects began planning an attack in the northern city of Acre. The Shin Bet said the suspect picked a local synagogue as the target for a shooting attack, and immediately began inquiring after weapons.

It was unclear why the two plots were aborted.

A police raid at the time on the home of one of the suspects uncovered a makeshift gun and several M-16 cartridges.

Wissam Aridi, one of the suspects’ lawyers, told Channel 2 his clients denied the charges against them, and said any confessions obtained by the Shin Bet were coerced.

Another lawyer, Moshe Avital, told the TV station that one of the defendants had a long history of mental illness and requested he undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

All three were ordered to remain in custody until May 25.