A nine-member terrorist cell in the Galilean town of Shfaram was taken out of action last week in a joint operation by the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and Israel Police. Information about the arrests was held under wraps until Sunday due to a gag order issued by the Akko Magistrate's Court.
The attackers, young Bedouin men aged 18 to 22, are suspected of toppling electric poles and downing power lines with the intent to cause traffic accidents, while hurling rocks at Israeli vehicles on the highways.
Police said they first received information about the group in December 2008 when officers received reports of rock attacks on the Nazareth-Shfaram highway.
A woman was injured when the vehicle she was riding in slammed into two electricity poles that were strategically toppled to block Route 79, near the entrance to Mitzpe Adi. The attackers, who downed a power line in the process, then hurled rocks at the disabled truck.
According to police the suspects formed their group to show solidarity with Gaza in response to Israel's launching of its counter-terrorist Operation Cast Lead on December 27.
They will be charged with attempted arson, endangering lives on a transportation route and holding membership in an illegal organization. The State Prosecutor's Office has not yet decided whether to charge the group with terrorist activity. According to police, the maximum sentence for blocking roads during wartime can range from 25 years to life in prison.
Shfaram, today a multi-ethnic community comprised of Druze, Christian and Muslim Arabs, once was home to the ancient Jewish Sanhedrin, the Great Rabbinical Council. Records and archaeological artifacts documenting Jewish residency date back to the Second Temple period. In modern times, there were records of Jews living in the village as far back as the mid-19th century, and when the State of Israel was restored in 1948, the town was included within its borders, as mandated by the United Nations.
During preparations in January 2008 for Israel's 60th Independence Day celebrations, Shfaram Mayor Ursan Yassin met with government officials to express his support and that of his constituents. Yassin declared in a bold statement to the media, "This is our country and we completely disapprove of the statements by the Higher Monitoring Committee.... We will not raise our children to hate the country.... we want to live in co-existence with its Jewish residents."
Nevertheless, Yassin has faced an uphill battle, with outside forces striving to persuade young Arabs not to integrate into Israeli society or develop peaceful relations with their neighbors.
One example of such a divisive force is the head of the Hadash Communist party, Knesset Member Mohammad Barakeh, who is also a resident of Shfaram. Barakeh has in past speeches referred to the State of Israel as "a sword on our necks" and more recently has publicly condemned the IDF for its recent counter-terrorist Operation Cast Lead in Gaza. He is currently facing two possible indictments for obstructing and assaulting police officers in four separate incidents.