An Arab resident of the Israeli city of Qalansawe, pictured, was indicted for trying to join the Syrian jihadist rebels. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – An Arab resident of the Israeli city of Qalansawe was indicted at the Kfar Saba Magistrates’ Court on Monday for traveling to Syria to join the ranks of jihadist rebel forces in the area.

According to the Shin Bet security agency, 21-year-old Yusef Nasrallah admitted during his investigation that he went to Syria on April 18 last year to join the rebels. He was arrested by Syrian forces a few hours after crossing the border.

Nasrallah was held in Syria for eight months, during which time he was subjected to multiple investigations and asked for information about Israeli security facilities. According to the Shin Bet, Nasrallah was also tortured while in Syria. After being released by Syrian forces, he returned to Israel by way of Jordan and was arrested shortly after entering the country. Israeli security forces said he was in poor health upon his return.

The indictment against Nasrallah states, “The defendant had hoped to be killed while fighting [in Syria], in accordance with his religious belief that it would make him a ‘shahid’ [martyr] and he would go to heaven, where he would be reunited with his friend who died in a car accident.”