Israeli-Arab Sentenced Two Years For Attempting to Join ISIS

A worker who had previously worked at the Israeli Ministry of Health was sentenced following a security-related trial that had lasted seven months. He was accused for attempting to join ISIS.

The trial concluded on Thursday, December 24.

According to the indictment, Halil Halil, a 25-years-old resident of Abu-Tur, a mixed Jewish-Arab neighborhood in Jerusalem sought to join the ranks of ISIS in Syria when he attempted to exit the country illegally to Turkey en route to Syria.

Halil was caught, however, by chance, when he attempted to cross the border from Turkey to Syria. Halil also stood accused of establishing contact with a foreign agent in Turkey and attempting to connect with activists and terror organizations such as ISIS.

According to the indictment, Halil first made contact with ISIS members in Israel by way of social media videos and Facebook.

The official sentencing by Judge David Minetz, read: “In light of all the information and after weighing all considerations, I sentenced the defendant to 24 months in prison on condition that if he commits any offence to the security of the state during the first three years following his release from prison, he will be immediately reimprisoned.”

Following the sentencing Halil’s attorney, Wasim Darosher, told TPS that “the Supreme Court accepted the majority of the defense team’s positions and concluded that the crimes were personally motivated rather than national.”