A resident of the Shuafat refugee camp in east Jerusalem who was convicted of planning terrorist attacks against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials, including former Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.
The Jerusalem District Court handed down the sentence on Thursday.
Most of the details of the case are under a gag order, the information cleared for publication states that Rashda was being handled by terrorists in Syria.
Rashda was convicted on charges of aiding the enemy in a time of war, conspiracy to commit terrorist acts that would result in murder, espionage and conspiracy to commit murder.
He also planned to carry out terrorist attacks on buildings owned by the American Consulate in Jerusalem and against a delegation of Canadian officials who were in Jerusalem to train Palestinian Authority security forces in Judea and Samaria.
Attorney Shachar Malul of the Jerusalem District of the State Attorney’s Office said, “The sentence reflects the severity of the crimes the defendant committed, which included [‘attempts’] to harm state security and the delicate fabric of life in Israel. The State Attorney’s Office will continue to take determined action to bring anyone who tries to damage the security of Israel and its residents to justice.”
