ISA ARRESTS FIVE PEOPLE ON CHARGES OF FINANCING TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS AND
PASSING SENSITIVE INFORMATION TO ENEMY STATES
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
Tuesday, June 24, 2003 11:07 PM

On 13.5.2003, a joint ISA-Israel Police operation resulted in the arrest of
18 senior Islamic Movement officials on suspicion that they were involved in
carrying out a large number of security breaches.

After a 40-day investigation, five of those arrested - Sheikh Ra'ad Salah,
Mahmud Mahajana, Umm al-Fahm Mayor Dr. Saliman Agbariyeh, Nasser Agbariyeh
and Tawfik Mahajana - were charged. Two institutions were also charged: The
Institute for Humanitarian Aid, headed by Ra'ad Salah and the Committee for
Humanitarian Rescue, headed by Dr. Saliman Agbariyeh.

The five are charged with raising money abroad and transferring it to Hamas
in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip, and also to prisoners convicted of
perpetrating terror attacks.

In addition, charges of passing sensitive information to Iran and
maintaining contacts with foreign agents were filed against Sheik Ra'ad
Salah and Mahmud Mahajana.

Since the IDF withdrawal from Lebanon, Iran has made efforts to advance its
vision of destroying Israel. Iran has significantly increased its activity
against Israel in the intelligence and operational spheres, and devotes
money, resources and military initiatives to this end. In addition, Iran
has established new institutions, whose purpose is to gather information of
possible civilian and military targets within Israel, on the structure of
Israeli politics and society, and on the Arab population in Israel.

Iranian activities in encouraging and aiding Palestinian terrorists to
perpetrate terror attacks have increased since the Aqaba summit, with the
aim of wrecking the political process.

Furthermore, Iranian influence in terrorist organizations has increased to
the extent that the Palestinian Authority is losing its ability to influence
them.