Three Jerusalem Arabs were indicted Sunday on charges of planning attacks against Jews, including one against the capital's Mayor Uri Lupoliansky.
The indictment filed in the Jerusalem District Court tells the story of the alleged conspiracy. At the end of 2006, Mamun Abu-Tir of Jerusalem contacted his friend Abdullah Abu-Tir for the purpose of "forming a terror group to commit attacks against Jews." Mamun also made internet contact with an Algerian Islamic Jihad terrorist named Shahid Al-Sraiya for the purpose of developing his budding terror cell.
In the course of their six-week contacts, Al-Sraiya promised Mamun that he would direct him to Islamic Jihad operatives in Gaza, Judea and Samaria. He also electronically sent Mamun instructions as to how to prepare explosives.
Several weeks ago, in September 2007, Al-Sraiya told Mamun to purchase a cellular-phone chip (SIMcard) so that he could receive "secret" phone calls from an Islamic Jihad terrorist from Gaza. Soon afterwards, contact was formed between Mamun and the terrorist, who was known as Abu Haritha.
Mamun proposed that Abu Haritha attempt several murders, including of the Mayor of Jerusalem. Abu Haritha asked Mamun if he could drive a suicide terrorist from Be'er Sheva for the purpose of an attack there; Mamun got his afore-mentioned friend Abdullah to agree. Abdullah agreed, without knowing that his passenger would be a suicide terrorist.
Abu Haritha later changed the plan, and told Mamun that instead of having the terrorist driven to his target, the terrorist would reach the partition wall outside Jerusalem and would from there be brought into Jerusalem. Later, the two Abu-Kirs decided to drive around Jerusalem in order to identify suitable locations for a suicide attack.
Mamun informed Abu Haritha of his pastime, and a week later the latter asked him to prepare to travel to Jenin, in Samaria, for the purpose of gathering up a "gift." Mamun understood that the reference was either to a suicide terrorist or an explosive vest. Several hours later, he was arrested by the Israeli security forces.
Mayor Lupoliansky responded to the news by saying, "I won't give in or be afraid of threats by extremist elements who might try to stop my work for Jerusalem and its inhabitants, nor will they harm the co-existence and the warm relations that exist among all the residents of the city."