Israeli Arab, 26-year-old Nadal Salah, a resident of Jaljulia, who paraglided across the Israeli/Syrian border in 2015 in his effort to join ISIS, was indicted in Israel. He traveled to Syria to join rebel forces in the effort to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Salah was indicted in Israel on Wednesday, 6 Menachem Av, on charges including contact with an enemy agent and providing intelligence information to the enemy.

Salah and a friend bought paragliders in the hope of making their way directly to Syria without having to travel via Turkey as other residents of Jaljulia who wished to join ISIS have done. Due to a malfunction Salah and his friend did not make the flight from the Golan Heights on their first attempt, returning home, only to make a second attempt a week later.

He evaded gunfire from Syria while in the air, landing in Syria and then headed to the ISIS post. Fearing he might be a spy, ISIS commanders threw them in prison and they were tortured to obtain information about Israel. He made one attempt to escape, albeit without success. He eventually persuaded ISIS officials that he came to join them, at which time he was released. He studied bomb-making and used his past to contact others in Israel, to bring them into ISIS. He sent photos showing him with weapons to his family in Israel as well as friends.

He was used to translate Hebrew documents to Arabic. At one point, he was taken captive in a battle, escaping in May 2018, making his way to Turkey and in June, flying back home to Israel, accompanied by family members and a lawyer. He was arrested upon his arrival at Ben-Gurion International Airport.

Following the filing of the indictment, he was ordered held without bail pending the outcome of his trial.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)