Neighbors Shocked as Professor Charged with Planning Mass Terror Attacks

Neighbors of a roughly 60-year-old professor from Petah Tikva, affiliated with Bar-Ilan University, expressed shock and disbelief following the indictment filed against him on Tuesday. The professor, known in his quiet neighborhood as a pleasant and quiet individual, is accused of planning numerous terror acts. "He is a very nice person," said Adi, a neighbor who witnessed his arrest. "I came home from work and there was a car in front of me. I saw them forcibly taking him and putting him in a car. They were without uniforms, without anything, they looked anonymous. I asked one of them what was happening and he answered that they were police and not to worry, everything was fine. They are accusing him of very serious acts, and it doesn't add up for me. He is a very nice person."

Ron, who lives on the same street, also shared his feelings after the arrest: "It's a huge shock, a real shock. This is a very quiet street. He lived here alone, a nice and pleasant man. We are all in shock." Erez, another neighbor, also struggles to understand how the person he knew is connected to the serious suspicions: "This doesn't suit him. He is very nice and pleasant, a very smart man. Although his clothing and appearance were strange, he didn't seem extreme at all. We even talked a bit about politics, I understood he was right-wing, but he didn't seem extreme to me. It's just a shock."

However, according to the indictment, a large-scale plan was allegedly hidden behind the quiet facade. The prosecution claims that against the backdrop of the riots during Operation Guardian of the Walls and later during the "Swords of Iron" war, the defendant decided to plan and execute numerous coordinated terror acts. The indictment states the plan was intended to cause the deaths of hundreds of Arab civilians across the country, including Bedouins, Arabs residing in East Jerusalem, and those in Judea and Samaria. It is further alleged that his goal was to bring about their permanent flight and expulsion to Jordan, Lebanon, and the Gaza Strip. The plan, according to the indictment, was codenamed "Ayat," an acronym for "Am Yim'a Transfer" (A Nation Will Perform a Transfer).