Thirty-year-old Ahmed Jabar will not be released from prison this year, the Haifa District Court determined Thursday. Jabar, an Arab Israeli citizen from Hadera, was convicted of assisting a suicide bomber in 2001.
Jabar drove the bomber to his destination – the Sharon Mall in Netanya. There, the bomber set off a blast that murdered five people and wounded 86.
For assisting the bomber, Jabar was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Prison Services officials said Thursday that there was evidence that Jabar continued to commit crimes while in prison. There has been no significant change in his behavior or his worldview since he entered prison, they testified.
When police moved in on Jabar, they discovered that he made a living by bringing Palestinian Authority Arabs into pre-1967 Israel without permits, violating the law and putting Israel at risk. At the time suicide bombings were frequent, and drivers had been explicitly warned against transporting PA Arabs without proper Ids.
In addition, police found that Jabar knew that the bomber he transported had been turned down for a ride by several other drivers, who expressed distrust of his motives.