Israeli-Arab Student Arrested After Joining Syrian Rebel Forces
by Joshua Levitt
A 26-year old Israeli-Arab was arrested by Israeli security forces after sneaking into Syria to join rebel forces battling the army of Syrian President Assad in the country’s ongoing civil war, and participate in military campaigns against Israel, Israel’s Channel 2 reported on Wednesday, citing official documents which have been kept secret since the arrest a month ago.
Israeli-Arab Abdel-Kader Afif, 26, was studying pharmacology in Jordan, where he met Iraqi and Palestinian students who were activists in the global jihad movement. These contacts led him to strengthen his religious faith, and later influenced him to join militants entering the ranks of the Syrian rebel fighters under the banner of al-Qaeda.
According to Channel 2 he was arrested in mind-July and has since been indicted for violating Israeli laws against contacting foreign agents and leaving the country illegally
In April, a similar case was reported of another Arab-Israeli, 29-year old Hikmat Saro, who entered Syria through the Turkish border to join up with his brother who had already enlisted with the Syrian rebel forces. Saro took part in a week of paramilitary training and was trained how to operate different weapons. While there, Saro was asked by members of the Free Syrian Army to die in a suicide attack within Israel. He refused the request, but did not sever contact with the unit, even though he knew that they are interested in attacking Israeli targets.