2 Druse charged with contacting Syrian intelligence

Fars Shaar and Said Abu Zid of Majdal Shams transferred secret letters, money from Syrian agent to Israeli prisons.

By YAAKOV KATZ
majdal shams 298.88 (photo credit: GPO)
majdal shams 298.88
(photo credit: GPO)
Two Druse from the Golan Heights were charged on Tuesday for allegedly spying on Israel on behalf of the Syrian Intelligence, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) revealed for publication.
According to the Shin Bet, Fars Shaar, 40, and Said Abu Zid, both residents of the Druse village of Majdal Shams in the Golan, were in touch with a Syrian intelligence officer named Madhat Salah, who works with the Syrian government body responsible for the Golan Heights.
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Salah, 43, is originally from Majdal Shams and was previously imprisoned in Israel for security crimes. In 1998, he illegally crossed the border into Syria and settled there.
Salah and Shaar met during a joint stint the two did in an Israeli prison. During his interrogation, Shaar, who was arrested in late August, confessed that Salah had asked him to kidnap an IDF soldier. Salah promised to pay him in return.
According to the Shin Bet, Shaar served over the past three years as a conduit for money that Syria transferred to Israel for Druse prisoners and their families.
Abu Zid and Shaar’s sister served as the contacts between Shaar and Salah. His sister traveled to Jordan and met with Salah there. Abu Zid passed on a seceret letter from Salah to Shaar.
In August, Fada Sha'ar and his father Majad, also residents of Majdal Shams, were charged with espionage, also for allegedly spying on behalf of Syria. The Shin Bet said that Salah has been involved in other cases of recruiting Israeli and Druse spies on behalf of Syria.