Palestinian convert to Judaism charged with aiding militants

[Behind the Aegis]

The Haifa District Court on Thursday charged a Palestinian-born Israeli with conspiring to aid the enemy during wartime, and with establishing contacts with a foreign agent.

Assaf Ben David (Hussam Sawafta), 39, is suspected of purchasing materials for Islamic Jihad to aid them in making explosives.

Ben David, originally a resident West Bank town of Tubas, converted to Judaism in 1993 and obtained Israeli citizenship. He recently moved to Kiryat Haim, north of Haifa.

According to the charges, the defendant's brother, Salah Sawafta, is an active member of the Islamic Jihad and is wanted by Israeli security forces.


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