The GSS revealed a plan by a band of Popular Front terrorists
to assassinate Shas leader HaRav Ovadia Yosef. The three-man
squad planned to carry out the assassination as HaRav Ovadia
stepped out of his home in Jerusalem's Har Nof neighborhood,
in addition to several other attacks in the city.
Ever since the assassination of Ahmad Yassin, leader of
Hamas, terrorist organizations have been trying to strike at
ranking Israeli figures. On Sunday the GSS revealed that one
month ago it arrested the three members of the Popular Front
squad, the East Jerusalem branch of the organization
responsible for the murder of Minister Ze'evi Hy"d.
The key activists arrested by the GSS were Salach Hamuri, who
holds French citizenship, Motasan Mohamed and Mossa
Darwayish, 22. All three live in North Jerusalem.
The GSS investigation shows that in the past year Hamuri
forged ties with Popular Front militants following his
release from jail. The three set up a band active in East
Jerusalem and maintained contact with the organization's
ranking figures in Jerusalem and in a Jericho jail. In recent
months the band began to purchase weapons and ammunition and
to plan attacks in Jerusalem. According to the investigation
findings Darwayash suggested the assassination plot to
Hamuri, saying that when he worked as a delivery boy for a
fast-food restaurant in Givat Shaul's commercial district he
found out where HaRav Ovadia lives.
The squad members took advantage of this information and
gathered additional data on Rechov Hakablan in Har Nof. They
reconnoitered the roads leading to the Shas leader's home and
planned their escape route, as well as assessing the security
arrangements. The three squad members planned to perpetrate
the assassination when the Shas leader left his home in the
morning and then flee the scene on motorcycles. The GSS said
their arrest prevented the assassination from being carried
out.
Shas is now demanding the State post regular bodyguards to
protect their leader.
