The General Security Service confirmed yesterday that its original reports that a Jewish woman had been an accomplice to the recent suicide terrorist attack in Rishon LeTzion were mistaken - and that in fact the accomplice was a Ukrainian Christian woman who arrived in Israel illegally.
The story began when the GSS announced last week that it had arrested Marina Pinsky, a Jewish immigrant from Russia who had married an Arab from Dehaishe named Ibrahim Sarhana. They were divorced a year ago, but in the meantime Sarhana\'s cousin - also named Ibrahim Sarhana - married a woman in the Ukraine named Irena Nikolaev Polichuk whom he met in the framework of her work as a prostitute. The latter Sarhana came to Israel, stole Marina Pinsky\'s I.D. card, and used a forged copy of it to bring his new wife into Israel. Polichuk has lived ever since under the name Marina Pinsky. When the GSS announced that it had arrested Pinsky and her husband Sarhana, then, it really had arrested Polichuk and a different Sarhana.
Atty. Chanan Gold, Marina Pinsky\'s lawyer, said today that ever since the publication of the story, his client has closed herself up in an apartment in central Israel and is suffering psychologically. Although he said he understands the difficult conditions under which the GSS operates, Gold expressed \"wonderment\" at its motives in publicizing the details so hastily.
The attack in which Sarhana and Polichuk are accused of cooperating occurred when a 16-year-old Arab blew himself up on a pedestrian mall in Rishon LeTzion on the evening of May 22. Two people were killed and 51 were wounded in the attack. Sarhana and Polichuk are alleged to have driven the terrorist and another woman to the area, and Sarhana even suggested the site of the attack. The second passenger was scheduled to blow herself up minutes afterwards in the same area, but changed her mind at the last minute. Polichuk said she did not know her passengers\' destination, but the woman terrorist has said that this is untrue.
The story began when the GSS announced last week that it had arrested Marina Pinsky, a Jewish immigrant from Russia who had married an Arab from Dehaishe named Ibrahim Sarhana. They were divorced a year ago, but in the meantime Sarhana\'s cousin - also named Ibrahim Sarhana - married a woman in the Ukraine named Irena Nikolaev Polichuk whom he met in the framework of her work as a prostitute. The latter Sarhana came to Israel, stole Marina Pinsky\'s I.D. card, and used a forged copy of it to bring his new wife into Israel. Polichuk has lived ever since under the name Marina Pinsky. When the GSS announced that it had arrested Pinsky and her husband Sarhana, then, it really had arrested Polichuk and a different Sarhana.
Atty. Chanan Gold, Marina Pinsky\'s lawyer, said today that ever since the publication of the story, his client has closed herself up in an apartment in central Israel and is suffering psychologically. Although he said he understands the difficult conditions under which the GSS operates, Gold expressed \"wonderment\" at its motives in publicizing the details so hastily.
The attack in which Sarhana and Polichuk are accused of cooperating occurred when a 16-year-old Arab blew himself up on a pedestrian mall in Rishon LeTzion on the evening of May 22. Two people were killed and 51 were wounded in the attack. Sarhana and Polichuk are alleged to have driven the terrorist and another woman to the area, and Sarhana even suggested the site of the attack. The second passenger was scheduled to blow herself up minutes afterwards in the same area, but changed her mind at the last minute. Polichuk said she did not know her passengers\' destination, but the woman terrorist has said that this is untrue.