Prosecutors to indict man who drove Tel Aviv terrorist in vehicle disguised with hostage symbol

The State Attorney’s Tel Aviv District Office files a declaration of intent to prosecute a 20-year old resident of East Jerusalem for having transported the terrorist who carried out a stabbing attack on January 18 in Tel Aviv in which he severely injured one man, the police state.

The East Jerusalem man picked up the assailant, a resident of the West Bank city of Tulkarem who was illegally residing in Israel, from the Atarot area of Jerusalem and drove him in his van to the center of Tel Aviv, “in the clear knowledge that this was an illegal resident who was likely to endanger the safety of Israeli citizens and even carry out a terrorist attack,” the police say.

The police point out that the driver had stuck the yellow ribbon symbol of solidarity with the Israeli hostages held in Gaza on his vehicle “to camouflage his illegal activities for the journey to Tel Aviv.”

The declaration of intent to prosecute was filed yesterday, and a full indictment on charges relating to the driver’s alleged involvement with terrorism will be filed in the coming days, as well as a request to keep the suspect in custody until the end of the criminal process, the police add.

The terrorist, Salah Yahye, 19, from the West Bank city of Tulkarem, was shot dead on the scene.