海角大神

'Israeli spy' found inside of Islamic State

Muhammad Musallam was meant to report to Mossad, but was found out after contacting family.

Islamic State said on Thursday it was holding an聽Israeli聽Arab who had posed as a foreign fighter in order to聽spy聽for聽Mossad, an account denied by聽Israel聽and by the man's family, who said he had been kidnapped.

In an interview published by Islamic State's online English-language magazine Dabiq,聽Muhammad Musallam, 19, said he had joined the insurgent group in聽Syria聽so as to report to the Israelis on its weapons caches, bases and Palestinian recruits.

After his conduct aroused the suspicion of Islamic State commanders, Musallam was quoted as saying, he broke cover by phoning his father in East聽Jerusalem, leading to his capture.

"I say to all those who want to聽spy聽on the Islamic State, don't think that you're so smart and that you can deceive the Islamic State. You won't succeed at all," he said, according to Dabiq.

"Stay away from this path. Stay away from helping the Jews and the murtaddin (apostates). Follow the right path."

Musallam's father, Said, denied his son was a聽spy, saying he went missing after traveling as a tourist to聽Turkey. Muhammad then phoned home, saying he had been abducted to neighboring聽Syria聽but could buy his way out, his father said.

"He said, 'Dad, I need $200 or $300 so they will let me go,'"聽Said Musallam聽told Reuters. Before he could send the money, he said, another man phoned to inform him Muhammad had escaped his captors but had been seized by Islamic State.

An聽Israeli聽security official聽said Musallam聽traveled to聽Turkey聽on Oct. 24 in order to fight for Islamic State in聽Syria.

"He went on his own initiative, without his family's knowledge," the official told Reuters. Asked whether his statement constituted a denial that Musallam was an聽Israeli聽spy, the official said: "You can understand it that way, yes."

POROUS BORDER

Worried that members of its 20-percent Arab minority might travel to聽Syria聽or聽Iraq聽to join Islamist insurgent groups and then return radicalized and battle-ready,聽Israel聽has stepped up monitoring and prosecution of suspected would-be volunteers.

Turkey聽draws many聽Israeli聽Arab holidaymakers. It is also a major conduit for foreigners who slip across the border to help insurgents trying to topple Syrian President聽Bashar al-Assad.

Muhammad Musallam聽worked as an聽Israeli聽firefighter, his family said. A friend of his who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity聽said Musallam聽had posted pro-Islamic State messages on social media. Reuters could find no social media accounts under Musallam's name.

In the first conviction of its kind,聽Israel聽in November jailed聽Ahmed Shurbaji, an Arab citizen who returned voluntarily after spending three months with Islamic State in聽Syria.

He received a relatively light term of 22 months in return for cooperation with security services that would likely "help the State of聽Israel聽defend itself against this organization in various ways," the court said, in a possible allusion to information he provided about Islamic State.

A source in the聽Shin Bet,聽Israel's internal security agency, said聽Israeli聽Arabs returning from聽Syria聽were routinely questioned for intelligence on jihadi groups.

Shurbaji had phoned an聽Israeli聽security official from聽Syria聽to broker a deal. The聽Shin Bet聽source said such communications with聽Israeli聽Arabs who wanted to return from聽Syria聽had sometimes been handled by聽Ayoob Kara, an聽Israeli聽Druse politician and former army officer close to Prime Minister聽Benjamin Netanyahu.

Contacted by Reuters, Kara said he was aware of Musallam's case and did not believe he was a聽Mossad聽spy.

While declining to discuss Musallam in detail, Kara said he knew of several young聽Israeli聽Arabs who had gone toSyria聽to aid refugees or for the thrill of available women or booty, only to be kidnapped and exploited by insurgents like Islamic State.

(Additional reporting by Ammar Awad and Sabreen Taha; Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Andrew Roche)