Special Information
Bulletin

Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center
at the Center for Special Studies (C.S.S)
March 28, 2005
   
 

Involvement of Israeli Arabs in terrorism: In 2004, 25 cells were uncovered in which 50 Israeli Arabs were involved. Since the beginning of the Israeli-Palestinian violent confrontation (September 2000), 112 cells that perpetrated or planned to perpetrate terrorist attacks have been uncovered; 236 Israeli Arabs were involved in the activity of these cells. 136 Israelis were killed and 790 were wounded as a result of terrorist attacks perpetrated by these cells.

 
(Source: ISA data)
   
 

On March 24, 2005 , legal charges were filed against an Israeli Arab, Ashraf Qaisi, residing in the village of Baqa al-Gharbiya. He is accused of transporting the suicide bomber to the suicide bombing attack at the Stage night club on Tel-Aviv's promenade. According to the indictment, Qaisi had contacts with members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in selecting a target for the terrorist attack.

 

The involvement of Ashraf Qaisi in the terrorist attack is yet another expression of the familiar phenomenon of Israeli Arabs' involvement in terrorist attacks planned and perpetrated by the Palestinian terrorist organizations. In 2004, 25 cells were uncovered in which 50 Israeli Arabs were involved. These cells took part in 7 terrorist attacks that did not result in casualties.

 

The involvement of Israeli Arabs in terrorism in the course of 2004 has two main characteristics:

 
  • Israeli Arabs as terrorists who take part in terrorist attacks. In 13 out of the 25 cells uncovered in 2004, Israeli Arabs operated as terrorists actively participating in the perpetration of terrorist attacks or the intent to perpetrate terrorist attacks . This figure indicates an increase in this pattern of action compared to 2003, when 5 cells in which Israeli Arabs participated as terrorists were uncovered.
  • Israeli Arabs as collaborators with terrorist activity directed from the Palestinian Authority administered territories. In 11 cells out of the 25, Israeli Arabs assisted in the perpetration of acts of terrorism from the Palestinian Authority administered territories by gathering information on potential targets for terrorist attacks, locating additional recruits, and transferring arms and ammunition from abroad and from Israel to terrorist cells in the Palestinian Authority administered territories. 10 cells provided assistance to terrorist activity knowingly while only one was deceived into assisting it. These figures indicate a drop compared to 2003.
 
  It should be noted that 7 out of the 25 cells uncovered in 2004 were independent cells that perpetrated or planned to perpetrate terrorist attacks in various forms (kidnapping soldiers, shooting, stabbing). The rest were directed by the Palestinian terrorist organizations (15) or by Hezbollah (3).
 

An additional observable trend in 2004 is an increase in the number of Israeli Arabs under the age of 18 involved in terrorist attacks. In the year 2004, 9 Israeli Arabs under the age of 18 were involved in terrorist attacks compared to one in 2003, two in 2002 and five in 2001.

 


Spread of Israeli Arab terrorist cells since the beginning of the confrontation

Spread of Israeli Arab cells in 2004

 
1This column refers to the entire year of 2000 rather than to the period of the confrontation alone.
   
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