Palestinian terrorists planned to poison diners at Israel restaurant

Here is a simple bioterror threat to worry about: Two Palestinians have been arrested only days before they executed a plan to poison diners at the Ramat Gan, Israel, restaurant in which they worked. Haaretz’s Yuval Azoulay and Jonathan Lis write that a tip-off led the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service, and Tel Aviv police to the pair of Nablus residents, who were staying in Israel illegally and working at Ramat Gan’s Grill Express. A gag order on the case, imposed after the 21-year-old Palestinians were arrested some three weeks ago, was lifted Friday. Under interrogation, the pair admitted planning the attack after being recruited by an Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade cell that received funding and instructions from Hezbollah. The cell was led by two wanted militants, Hani Kabi and Husni Tsalag. The Nablus pair were slated to receive a white, flavorless, odorless poison from Kabi and Tsalag. They planned to put the poison in meals served at the Grill Express. The investigation revealed that the poison was supposed to take effect about four hours after ingestion, during which window of time the pair planned to kill as many restaurant-goers as possible.

Poisoning diners at restaurants or cafes is considered a “strategic attack” and the police are greatly concerned by the possibility. In the past, terror organizations have tried a number of times to recruit Palestinian cooks and waiters to poison food at Israeli restaurants. The police note that the plan is a relatively easy means of carrying out an attack, as there is no need to smuggle sophisticated weapons into Israel and restaurant employees have free access to the attack site. Nonetheless, the method has not been widely used. In one instance in 2002, a poisoning attempt at Jerusalem’s Rimon Cafe was thwarted and the cafe’s chef was convicted of collaboration in an attempted poisoning. The judges were unsure if he was working for Hamas or on his own. Two accomplices were also convicted under a plea bargain.

During their interrogation, the Nablus pair also confessed that the wanted militants leading the cell had examined the possibility of using them to infiltrate a suicide bomber deep into Israel. Defense sources said that this terror cell — which is still operating in Nablus and receiving instructions and money from Hezbollah in South Lebanon — is trying to carry out a variety of attacks, and they may attempt to enlist the help of other Palestinians living and working illegally in Israel.