A Jewish resident of Bat Yam with a long criminal record, has confessed to collaborating with an Arab terrorist gang to plant a suitcase loaded with explosives on a busy downtown Jerusalem street 10 days ago, police disclosed. Yosef Nidam, 31, a known drug pusher, addict and gun-runner, said he did it for money, the police said.
He was arrested the evening of Oct. 5 shortly after he deposited the deadly luggage near a movie theater. According to the police, he confessed under interrogation that he had been promised IL I million for the job.
The explosives were set to detonate at 11:30 p.m. when the street would be crowded with moviegoers after the last show. Police found it a half hour earlier and had it removed and dismantled by the bomb squad. They said it contained 50-70 kilograms of a high quality explosive.
The arrest of Nidam led to the arrests of two of his Arab collaborators, both residents of Hebron. They belonged to a terrorist gang headed by Nur ADin Al Joabari, son of the former Mayor of Hebron, Sheikh Mohammed Ali Al-Joabari, who was detained several months ago. The gang was said to have planned a series of bombings in the Jerusalem area.
ONLY KNOWN JEW TO AID TERRORISTS
Nidam is the only Jew known to have assisted in an actual terrorist outrage. Others have been convicted of collaborating with the enemy but in all previous cases the motivations were political and none was caught in a terrorist act. Nidam confessed that he had been gun-running for terrorists for the past two years, bringing in weapons and explosives from Lebanon for which he was paid between IL 400,000-IL 700,000.
These included Katyusha rockets, at least one of which was used to shell Jerusalem five months ago causing extensive damage but no casualties. According to police, his Arab collaborators intended for Nidam to be blown up with the suitcase and thus save most of the IL I million. They reportedly gave him an advance of IL 50,000. Nidam is expected to be tried for treason.
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