Israeli-Arab convicted of assisting suicide bomber

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Tel Aviv district Court on Thursday convicted Ashraf Keisi, a 28-year-old Israeli Arab from Baka al-Gharbiya of five counts of murder and dozens of attempted murders for his part in a suicide attack at a Tel Aviv club, the "Stage", in February 2005, which killed five people and injured fifty more. Keisi was convicted not only of driving the suicide bomber to the club but of helping the terrorists select the target to be attacked. He was also pronounced guilty of assisting an enemy in wartime and supporting a terror organization. Keisi's conviction was based on a confession given to the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency). "There is no dispute over the fact that he drove the terrorist and even assisted in choosing the site," the judges wrote in the ruling. "Not only did he not thwart the attack, as he easily could have done, but he associated with [terrorists]…and had a significant part in the attack."