East Jerusalem teen attempts to recruit classmates to ISIS

An East Jerusalem 16-year-old high school student attempted to recruit his classmates to join ISIS and was arrested by the Israel Police, the Shin Bet and the Israel Police reported Thursday afternoon.

The Jerusalem District Central Unit began investigating the student in late July, following suspicions that a student at a school in Beit Hanina was involved in terrorist activities. 

The suspect was originally from the north of Israel and moved to live with his parents in the French Hill neighborhood in Jerusalem. He was studying physics and electronics at school. 

The investigation by the Jerusalem Central Unit revealed that the suspect attempted to spread Islamic State ideology among his classmates at the school. His social media alias was named after one of the former leaders of the terrorist organization.

In his phone, police discovered ISIS content, including a video on how to make explosive devices. They also found files, which included formulas for making explosive devices and instructions on purchasing materials for those explosives.

Police also found files containing religious Islamic laws related to suicide bombings, killing innocent people, and other similar topics. 

According to classmate testimonies provided to the police, the teenager repeatedly attempted to recruit them to ISIS and threatened those who refused, saying that ISIS terrorists would kill them one day. He also expressed a desire to carry out a terror attack, either with a car bomb or using explosives, and to die as a "Khalifa."

Some teachers knew about his activities

Furthermore, some teachers knew about his activities and nicknamed him “Da’doosh.” The school’s report on the topic will be sent to the Education Ministry. 

The Police suspect that the student distributed ISIS terrorist content among students, praised and glorified ISIS, its operatives, and its ideology, identified himself as a member and enthusiastic supporter, frequently discussed attacks, and expressed his desire to go to Iraq and join ISIS’s ranks.

His detention was extended, and recently, a prosecutor's statement has been filed against him in preparation for an indictment.

The Central Unit in the Jerusalem District’s investigation team head Ras. Kamel Falah said, "In this case, the investigation findings and various testimonies leave no doubt that the suspect is a terrorist operative servicing ISIS.”

“The fact that he exploited his status as a student and the school environment to spread the terrorist organization's ideology and recruit others is serious. It's also alarming that many at the school, including several teachers, knew about this and did not report it to the authorities to stop him,” Falah continued.

“This is a terror cell of one young ISIS supporter at a school who planned and attempted in every way to turn his classmates into terrorist operatives affiliated with the murderous organization and to carry out terrorist acts in the future. We will continue our determined and ongoing fight against terrorists wherever they are," Falah concluded.