Israeli Arab charged with aiding Hezbollah’s propaganda efforts

A 36-year-old resident of Umm al-Fahm was charged Friday at the Haifa District Court with aiding Lebanese terror group Hezbollah from within Israel, providing the organization with videos and photos which it used for propaganda purposes.

Prosecutors said Mahmoud Jabarin maintained contact with two Hezbollah figures: Ali Shaib, correspondent for Hezbollah mouthpiece al-Manar, and Bilal Abdel Satter, spokesman for the Islamic Resistance Support Association — a charity body used to raise funds for Hezbollah.

Prosecutors said Jabarin intended to “carry out actions that would aid the interests and goals of Hezbollah in its psychological warfare against Israel, by taking photos and making videos throughout the country and sending them to the two agents, so that they would publish the photos/videos and sow fear and anxiety amongst the Israeli public…and to send a message that Hezbollah could reach anywhere in Israel.”

Jabarin is also accused of expressing support and praise for Hezbollah on social media.

Officials noted that Jabarin had been summoned for questioning by Israel’s Shin Bet security agency both in 2012 and 2016 and warned against his continued support and contacts with Hezbollah-affiliated figures, but ignored those warnings.

He is charged with several counts of contact with a foreign agent, providing information to the enemy and expressions of support for a terror organization.

Prosecutors have asked that Jabarin be remanded until the end of proceedings.