Israeli-Arab accused of plotting Daesh Tel Aviv bus attack

“Haj Yehiye was asked to initiate a bus attack in Tel Aviv and against IDF [Israeli Defence Force] soldiers but the plans were never realised,” said Shin Bet. “He swore allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr-al-Baghdadi and had considered going to Syria in order to join in the fighting alongside terrorist operatives.”

Haj Yehiye is 35 and lives in the Israeli city of Taibe. Around a fifth of the population of Israel (1.45 million people) is of Palestinian Arabic descent. About 80 per cent are Muslim, the rest are Christians and Druze. The Shin Bet believes at least 50 Arab Israelis have travelled to Iraq and Syria to join IS in recent years, but it is unusual for IS recruits in Israel to plan attacks at home.