Two more Jewish youths were taken into custody Tuesday in connection with the investigation of a Syrian-directed Arab Jewish spy ring in which four other Israeli Jews and 35 Arabs have been implicated. The two youths were arraigned before a Tel Aviv magistrate who issued detention orders but banned publication of their names. The newspaper Maariv claimed that one of them is the son of a member of an extreme left-wing party.
The latest arrests were said to have followed “prolonged tracking” of the suspects. Police Minister Shlomo Hillel said yesterday that the investigation of the case has been extended and might delay the trial of the suspects. The trial will be held before a three judge civilian court in Haifa. No date has been announced.
One source said today that some of the 35 Arabs and Druze in custody may be released because they appear to have been only marginally involved in the spy ring. Police have released three Arab suspects detained earlier this month but arrested three others last week.
A Nazareth district court pronounced a six-and-a-half year prison sentence today on Salaman Diab who was found guilty of espionage and membership in a terrorist organization. The prosecution said that Diab crossed the border into Lebanon and enrolled in El Fatah to which he relayed military and other information.
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