Father and Son Who Converted to Islam Planned Assassination of Israeli Pilot

In a serious security investigation revealed today (Sunday), the Shin Bet and police uncovered a terror plot involving a father, son, and another young man. At the heart of the plot was a 21-year-old man from East Jerusalem, whose mother is Jewish and father is Muslim. After being rejected from IDF combat service, the young man converted to Islam and began receiving shooting training from his father. The two planned multiple terror attacks, including the murder of an Israeli pilot.

The investigation, led by the Jerusalem Police's Central Unit (YMR) in collaboration with other security agencies, revealed that the young man, living in the Qalandiya neighborhood, was disappointed after being turned down from IDF service and decided to join the enemy. His intentions were uncovered after his father sold bombs to an undercover police agent, codenamed "The Matrix," with the purpose of carrying out attacks against Jews.

The police and Shin Bet investigation led to the filing of an indictment statement against the suspects, including the father, son, and another young man, for preparing bombs and planning attacks.

During the investigation, it was discovered that the son had been in contact with Hamas operatives and other terror cells in central Israel and Jenin, had been assembling explosives, including car bombs, and planned large-scale attacks, such as shooting soldiers, attacking checkpoints, and assassinating an Israeli civilian pilot. In one instance, he even considered attacking a nightclub in central Israel but backed out at the last moment, fearing capture at a checkpoint and the destruction of his family's home by authorities.

The police accuse the father of playing a central role in the plot, with evidence suggesting that he supplied his son with weapons and trained him to shoot on the roof of their house in Qalandiya. The father also reportedly accompanied his son during shooting drills targeting checkpoints. Furthermore, months before the war broke out, the father is believed to have approached the separation barrier, fired shots, and fled the scene.

The investigation progressed after an undercover agent working in East Jerusalem uncovered a criminal explosives deal, leading to a large-scale arrest operation about a month ago. During searches of the suspects' homes and other locations, authorities found chemicals and equipment for making explosives, including potassium, pipes, charcoal, nitrogen gas, exhaust parts, and more.

The investigation continues, and the police are examining the involvement of additional individuals in the case. A third suspect, a young man in his 20s from East Jerusalem, was arrested on suspicion of helping the father assemble explosives.