A Lod military court on Monday sentenced to 30 years in prison the 12 Arab terrorists captured in a failed attempt to attack crowded beaches near Tel Aviv on the Shavuot holiday.
The 12 accused, all between 20 and 30 years old, were convicted last month of membership in a terrorist organization, illegal possession of arms and attempted murder.
The May 30 assault was the work of the Palestine Liberation Front, a constituent organization of the Palestine Liberation Organization headed by Mohammed (Abul) Abbas.
According to the indictments against the 12, documents in their possession indicated their orders were to create maximum carnage on the Tel Aviv beachfront. Another target was the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, the indictments said.
The terrorists had approached the beach in fast fiberglass motorboats, which were launched from a “mother ship” that sailed from Libya.
Israeli security forces killed four of the terrorists and captured the rest before they could harm anyone.
The attack prompted the United States to break off its dialogue with the PLO, which began in Tunis 18 months earlier. The dialogue has not been resumed since.
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