Photos show Ashkenazi plot suspect with gun in Lebanon

Ch. 10 releases apparently incriminating pictures of Israeli-Arab Rawi Sultani, who was allegedly recruited by Hizbullah.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Sultani 248.88 (photo credit: Channel 10)
Sultani 248.88
(photo credit: Channel 10)
Channel 10 released apparently incriminating pictures Tuesday of Rawi Sultani, a 23-year-old Israeli-Arab from the town of Tira who was allegedly recruited by Hizbullah in order to collect intelligence on IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi ahead of plans to assassinate him to avenge the death of the guerrilla group's military leader Imad Mughniyeh. At the end of August, an indictment was filed at the Petah Tikva District Court against Sultani, alleging that he was recruited by Hizbullah in the summer of 2008 when he traveled to Morocco to attend a Balad Party summer camp. One of the photos shows Sultani posing with a gun in southern Lebanon, while others show him with his alleged handler, Hizbullah operative Salman Harab, on a plane and at a meal. Channel 10 further reported that Harab's brother had been killed by the IDF in Lebanon and was therefore chosen by Hizbullah as the handler in the plot. The pan-Arab summer camp takes place every year in a different country, and was also attended by other Israeli-Arabs who are Balad activists. During his stay at the camp, Sultani allegedly provided Harab with information about Ashkenazi, particularly his routine at the Kfar Saba country club where the two occasionally worked out together. Sultani's trial opened at the Petah Tikva District Court on Tuesday. Sultani called the allegations against him "nonsense," and that "it will all end in an acquittal." He further claimed that he "doesn't even know what Ashkenazi looks like." The suspect's defense team's request to postpone the proceedings was granted, while his remand was extended until October 21. Yaakov Katz contributed to this report