August 31, 2009, - 2:03 pm

Awful Close: Israeli Arab Indicted for Spying on #1 IDF Soldier for Hezbollah

By Debbie Schlussel

The biggest shocker in this story is not that an Arab resident of Israel–23-year-old Rawi Sultani– spied on Israel for an Islamic terrorist group.  There are plenty more where he came from and I’m confident we have plenty here in the United States, not just Nada Nadim Prouty.

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Rawi Sultani Spied For Hezbollah on IDF’s Ashkenazi @ Gym

The biggest shocker is that Gabi Ashkenazi, Chief of Staff of the IDF, would work out at a publicly-accessible gym and not in a special Israeli military gym.  You’d think the Israelis would be more security conscious than that for his safety.  But you’d be wrong.  (Not that we do it differently here.  I worked out at the same gym as the Michigan FBI chief, but the only “intelligence” I reported on this site was that he never cleaned up the treadmills after he drenched them with his sweat.  He worked out there, despite the FBI’s own very well-equpped and secure gym–can’t be caught working out with the little people agents.)

Sultani, arrested following a complex and involved investigation carried out by the International Crimes National Investigation Unit, was indicted for offences against national security, including transferring information for the benefit of the enemy, contact with a foreign agent, and conspiring to commit a crime.

Sultani, who works out at the same gym as the chief of staff in Kfar Saba, passed on information to his Hezbollah operators via email and meetings abroad. . . .

According to the indictment issued by the Central District Prosecution, initial contact between Sultani and a Hezbollah operative was made when Sultani attended a youth camp in Morocco in August 2008. While there, he befriended Salman Harb, a Lebanese youth who reportedly revealed to him that he was active in Hezbollah. During their meeting, Sultani told the operative that he works out at the same gym as the IDF chief of staff. At this stage, he was not asked to take any action, only to stay in contact with the Hezbollah youth.

Later, the Hezbollah operative wrote to Sultani to invite him to Poland. Sultani left for Poland in December, where he met with the operative’s brother, Sami Harb. Sultani was told that Salman could not get an entry visa to Poland. Sami asked Sultani at the beginning of their Poland meeting to provide him with information on IDF bases and soldiers. Towards the end of the meeting, he started asking him questions about Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi.

He asked about the location of the gym, including its various workout machines and their characteristics, ways of accessing the gym, entrance protocol for members and guests, gym security arrangements, the location of security guards and how they were armed.

Sultani also transferred to Harb’s brother various ways of accessing the country club at which he and the chief of staff work out. In addition, he told the operative’s brother what at what times the chief of staff usually works out, whom he comes to the gym with, and what clothes he wears. . . .

Sultani returned to Israel and continued to be in contact with the Hezbollah operative. Sultani was arrested in December for investigation. He admitted to meeting with Hezbollah representatives in Poland and to providing them information on Ashkenazi. . . .

Sultani’s father, Attorney Fuad Sultani, said that his son was exploited and that he is innocent. “My son was maliciously exploited by these agents. The accusations are apparently politically-based,” said the senior Sultani, who is representing his son.

Supposedly, Hezbollah initiated this particular spying operation in an attempt to get revenge for the assassinated Hezbollah mastermind and head of armed operations,  Imad Mughniyeh, which it believes was the work of the Israelis.  What isn’t mentioned here is how the Israelis discovered Rawi Sultani’s spying.  I’d bet they had an informant, to whom he blabbed.  That’s usually how it works.

Oh, and by the way, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that they picked a guy whose father is an Arab Israeli lawyer, knowledgeable in the ways of how to get his son out of this.  His father may have even been in on it.

This is the way they do things.  They’re very clever.  And we Westerners are very stupid .  . . willingly so.




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22 Responses

It’s unfortunately only the tip of the iceberg. Israeli Arab drug rings have also played key roles in subverting IDF security.

Sultan Knish on August 31, 2009 at 2:05 pm

JPost implies that Sultani initiated the whole thing (how would Hezbullah have known that this kid who showed up in a camp in Morocco had valuable information on Ashkenazi? There’s nothing that says he contacted them before).

By the way, a collector’s gun that was given to Ashkenazi as a gift was stolen from the Kirya (like the Pentagon) two weeks ago, so the security breach is even worse than this story describes.

You’d think Ashkenazi was a mid-level partner in a medium sized law firm from the way he takes precautions.

Carl in Jerusalem on August 31, 2009 at 2:54 pm

[Debbie: What isn’t mentioned here is how the Israelis discovered Rawi Sultani’s spying. I’d bet they had an informant, to whom he blabbed.]

I hope that isn’t the case. If it is, Israel was very lucky here but the Israeli government is very stupid. They had a cabinet minister assassinated not to long ago.

However, I don’t believe this is what happened. This guy is not the only “Israeli” Arab to be picked up recently for conspiring with Hizbullah.

I_AM_ME on August 31, 2009 at 3:07 pm

As I mentioned on Carl’s blog, the IDF Chief Of Staff’s not being cognizant of his personal safety sends Israel’s enemies a message. People in high places have to lead their lives differently from every one else. With a great position comes great responsibility. Hopefully, this incident will get the IDF to reevaluate what its high officials do and if Ashkenazi won’t tighten up his routine, then he really does need to go!

NormanF on August 31, 2009 at 3:10 pm

If my memory serves, there was a report in the Israeli media awhile back about classified plans being found in a garbage dump. Clearly, the there is a lackadaisical attitude about security in the IDF. In the US, this would be of little consequence. In Israel, which is surrounded by enemies that’s plot its destruction and fifth column Arabs who assist them, its of the out most importance – and should be. Oslo has sadly misled quite a few Israelis into thinking the country is finally at peace. It isn’t and in all likelihood there will be no end to the conflict with the Arabs in our lifetime.

NormanF on August 31, 2009 at 3:15 pm

Wasn’t there an israeli arab knesset member also caught spying for hezbollah not too long ago.

Israel needs to tighten it up. Hezbollah propaganda is strong and there was much made off a Israeli spy ring smashed in Lebanon earlier this year.

dirtyleb on August 31, 2009 at 4:17 pm

Is there a death penalty for treason in Israel? This sure sounds like a case of treason to me. If so, this guy should pay the ultimate price. And if he is a Muslim, which his name sure sounds like one to me, they should put him in front of a firing squad, but before he is executed, he should be forced to watch the firing squad all take their bullets and rub them in pig fat and pig blood before executing him.

Jarhead on August 31, 2009 at 4:35 pm

    Behead him and place a pork chop in his mouth.

    Poor piggy!

    goldenmike4393 on August 31, 2009 at 6:39 pm

      goldenmike4393 – are you on this PORK, PORK, PORK stuff again? 😉

      Jarhead on August 31, 2009 at 6:45 pm

    Israel has no death penalty. Gen. Ashkenazi done some very bad things in the name of unity against the religioussoldiers that instead of encouraging cameraderie have cause divisiveness among the troops. He should regard this as a warning form the real CIC, Hashem.

    MK750 on September 1, 2009 at 3:00 pm

Ashkenazi is a left-winger, despite appearances. Caroline Glick gives the low-down on him here:

http://www.carolineglick.com/e/2009/02/netanyahus-threeheaded-nemesis.php

Ashkenazi is much more a fan of Obama than Netanyahu.

adam on August 31, 2009 at 4:55 pm

But you’d be wrong. (Not that we do it differently here. I worked out at the same gym as the Michigan FBI chief, but the only “intelligence” I reported on this site was that he never cleaned up the treadmills after he drenched them with his sweat. He worked out there, despite the FBI’s own very well-equpped and secure gym–can’t be caught working out with the little people agents.)

I have 2 questions.
1:Why do they have a state of the art well-equipped and secure gym? If it for security OK. If it isn’t why are we paying for it?
2: If it is for security why isn’t he exercising there?

I would be interested in the answer.

Bob A. on August 31, 2009 at 5:59 pm

“With a great position comes great responsibility” LMAO…. ol’ stormin’ norman quoting from the “Spiderman” movie. I love how people blur fantasy and reality. Thanks for the comic relief in this most chilling story!

DS_ROCKS! on August 31, 2009 at 6:03 pm

Debbie, I wonder if his club is like an Israeli L.A. Fitness, where guys join to hang with the party girls who work out there. LAF is really big with the married guys, who don’t have a lot of deniable avenues for meeting chicks.

A1 on August 31, 2009 at 7:03 pm

Read Rabbi Kahane’s masterpiece, “They Must Go” online

Rabbi Meir Kahane, Zt”l warned what would happen if the arabs were not kicked out of Israel. The corrupt Israeli governments didn’t listen to him and look what has happened!

Underzog on August 31, 2009 at 8:25 pm

P.S. There was also a mini debate on the subject of removing the Arabs from Israel between me and an Arab pretending to be a Jew: the late “Village Voice” reporter, Robert Friedman. HERE.

The talkshow was moderated by the host who is also deceased. His name is David Brudnoy and he died of a form of skin cancer after surviving AIDs.

Underzog on August 31, 2009 at 8:35 pm

*This is the way they do things. They’re very clever. And we Westerners are very stupid . . . willingly so.*

Amen to that. Typical example of liberal stupidity: In Fairfax County, the largest County in Virginia with over a million people right next to the Capital, two imams are on the 2010 Census Complete Count Committee: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/bacs/fairfax_board.asp?lookup=7014071

A simple google search pulls up these imams’ blogs, in which they boast about many things, including how many awards they have won. They must think Americans are completely stupid, and when it comes to our gullibility about Islam, it is true.

JM on August 31, 2009 at 9:12 pm

The intelligence community in Israel is the best of the best and can not explain their ways.

The reason of their success is they follow up on every information they get and build on it.

As for the chief of staff he has the “show off” attitude type.

At least in Israel they discovered it before it happened.

Are we doing the same in the U.S.A.?

Daniel on September 1, 2009 at 12:01 am

BTW. I agree with sultan knish in every aspect. A IDF colonel from Al-Haibe family was convicted on such basis. He was recruited by a Christian drug dealer from South Lebanon to give information to the terrorist group in exchange of drugs.

The drug dealer was from the Nahra family who resided in a town called Ibl Al-Saqui and is the base of the Norwegian battalion which is part of the United Nation Interim Force in South Lebanon.

Daniel on September 1, 2009 at 12:11 am

nadeem

Just keep on spewing your hatred for the Jewish people. Do you know why these terrorists are assasinated? Because they kill innocent people. If these so called Palestinians were so innocent, why do they strap bombs on little children and women? Also, why don’t they wear a uniform and collectively fight a war? Because they are cowards and want to hide inside the populace and use women and children as human shields. They are pathetic. The Mossad should be able to be left to their own devices and exterminate all of the Palestinian terrorists (yeah, I know, it is a redundancy to say Palestinian and terrorist in the same sentance).

Jarhead on September 1, 2009 at 12:27 am

I live in Haifa ,Israel……

nothing have changed since my father was among the IDF
unit that liberated Haifa in 1948….on going to my time
in 1982 Lebanon war…and now days for my son is in the IDF
Tank corps in Gazza…..

Hezbealla is thinking and saying what 90 % of the arabs in Israel
think but will not say.
So there is nothing new for us!!!

Uri on September 1, 2009 at 9:31 am

Federal employees whose missions are sensitive, hours are erratic, and who need to be able to work out…I’m OK with their gym.

Occam's Tool on November 9, 2011 at 11:13 pm

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