Bar Ilan Lecturer Indicted for Planning Mass Terror Attack Against Arabs

Prosecutors have filed an indictment against a Bar Ilan University mathematics lecturer, who allegedly planned a terror attack targeting hundreds of Arabs for over three years. The indictment, filed in the Central District Court in Lod, accuses the 60-year-old suspect from Petah Tikva of preparing a terror act, extortion by threats, and obstruction of justice. The prosecution is seeking to keep him in custody until the end of legal proceedings.

According to the indictment, the suspect developed a plan he called "Am Yif'eh Transfer" (The Nation Will Transfer) based on nationalist-ideological motives, escalating after the "Guardian of the Walls" riots and the "Swords of Iron" war. Between February 2023 and his arrest two weeks ago, he meticulously planned the attack, including reconnaissance, writing detailed documents, and attempting to recruit participants. The plan involved 72 Jewish attackers, including himself, divided into 12 squads of six, to simultaneously attack mixed cities and Arab towns across Israel. The squads were intended to be armed and operate by surprise, with the suspect also seeking to recruit individuals from the IDF to assist.

The ultimate goal, the indictment claims, was to create mass casualty events that would force Arab citizens and Palestinians from East Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria to flee Israel. The suspect drafted instructions for the plan, including directives not to spare women and children. He also conducted reconnaissance in the area of Tuba Zangaria to assess access and attack routes.

A significant part of the indictment details the suspect's attempts to involve Moshe Feiglin, a candidate in the upcoming elections with the "Zeut" and "Religious Zionism" list, to help recruit more activists. The suspect attended Feiglin's public events and tried to arrange a meeting, but Feiglin reportedly did not respond to any of his overtures. Subsequently, the suspect sent Feiglin a letter threatening to publicly release it, causing him public damage, if he did not cooperate. He also delivered copies of the letter to Feiglin's party's CEO.

Prosecutors allege the suspect took extensive measures to conceal his activities, including writing documents by hand, using a pseudonym, wearing disguises during meetings, and using strangers' phones for communication. The prosecution argued that the plan, developed over years and fueled by extremist ideology, demonstrated clear and immediate danger.