Terrorist Gang Found Guilty of Espionage and Attempted Sabotage

Six Israeli Druze from Galilee and a Lebanese member of a terrorist organization were found guilty of espionage and attempted sabotage by a Haifa district court today. Sentences will be pronounced on Wednesday.

The verdict today was the first public disclosure of the affair which began 18 months ago with the arrests of the suspects. According to the charge sheets, one of their sabotage targets was the 36-story Shalom Tower in Tel Aviv, Israel’s tallest building. Other targets included the Haifa oil refineries, Dizengoff Street, a heavily trafficked thoroughfare in Tel Aviv and bus stations in Jerusalem and northern Israel.

The sabotage ring was uncovered in August, 1983, when a Lebanese citizen, identified as Farid el-Halik, was stopped at the Rosh Hanikra border checkpoint trying to drive his Mercedes from Lebanon into Israel. An examination of the vehicle yielded 55 kgs (121 pounds) of high explosives in a reserve gasoline tank. Also found were detonators and electronic sabotage equipment.

An investigation of el-Halik revealed his membership in a terrorist organization, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, headed by Ahmed Jibril. It also led to the arrests of the six Israeli Druze, some of whom reportedly had served in the Israeli army. The Druze ringleader was identified as Salah Khikas.

The Druze had been recruited individually by Jibril’s group and were briefed during visits to Greece. One of the suspects travelled to Damascus for further instructions at Jibril’s headquarters.

According to the charges, el-Halik’s Mercedes was to have been abandoned in the parking garage under the Shalom Tower with the explosives set to go off by a timing device.