Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., March 27, 2008 Adar2 21, 5768 | | Israel Time: 14:10 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Rosner's Domain
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Advertising
Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File
Teenagers weeping on Fri. during the Jerusalem funeral for the eight yeshiva students who were killed in Thursday's shooting attack. (AP)
Last update - 21:55 08/03/2008
Police nab 8 in connection to Jerusalem terror attack
By Jonathan Lis, Haaretz Correspondent and The Associated Press
Tags: Police, Terror, Jerusalem 

Police have arrested eight people in connection to Thursday's shooting attack at a Jerusalem yeshiva, officials said on Saturday.

Investigators were seeking to establish whether Alaa Abu Dhaim, the gunman, had acted alone or was connected to any militant group, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.

Abu Dhaim, 25, was killed at the scene of the attack by an off-duty Israel Defense Forces officer who lived close to the seminary.
Advertisement
A number of the gunman's other family members were among those detained, including his father. The father also removed Hamas and Hezbollah flags from a mourners' tent the family had erected, after being instructed to do so by police.

According to the Palestinian news agency Maan, Abu Dhaim's father had in the past been a member of Hamas.

Israeli security forces have also interrogated a brother of the gunman, who killed eight students at the Jewish seminary, Channel 2 reported Saturday.

Upon his release from detention, the brother traveled to Jordan and all those who have had contact with him since have been questioned by security forces, Channel 2 said.

Meanwhile, an initial police investigation has revealed that the shooting was not a spontaneous attack, but in fact had been planned in advance.

Police also learnt that Abu Dhaim had personally chosen the location and time for the shooting. To this end, the 25-year-old had carried out extensive reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering work on the yeshiva.

Furthermore, the gunman had also stockpiled weapons and ammunition, only some of which he took to perpetrate the attack - an AK-47 assault rife, two pistols and a few magazines.

Abu Dhaim did not meet the typical profile of Palestinian attackers, police said. Major General Ilan Franco, the commander of Jerusalem district police, told Channel 2 that the attacker was "not known to the security forces."

"He was a normal man, who worked as a driver, who was going to wed soon," Franco said.

Hamas took responsibility on Friday for the shooting attack, but later backtracked, saying it was not yet sure it was involved. A relatively unknown group based in Lebanon reportedly also said it was behind the attack.

Also on Saturday, Jordanian officials said that authorities had prevented relatives of the gunman from erecting a tent in Amman for receiving condolences.

"Security men arrived at the site and ordered us to remove the tent which we had erected for receiving well-wishers for the martyr," an uncle of the attacker was quoted by Jordan's largest political party, the Islamic Action Front (IAF) as saying.

About 208,000 Palestinians live in east Jerusalem. The gunman, like many Palestinians in the sector of the city Israel captured in the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed, had an Israeli ID allowing him freedom of movement within Israel.

Public Security Minister Avi Dichter told mourners at Friday's funeral for the yeshiva students killed in the shooting attack that East Jerusalem Arabs should be expelled to the West Bank if found to be involved in militant activity.


Related articles:
  • ANALYSIS: Gazans see attack on yeshiva as unusual achievement
  • Lieberman: Jerusalem attack is product of Arab MK incitement
  • To the Westerner who 'understands' the terrorist
    • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Best served cold
    Safed chief rabbi calls on state to exact 'revenge' against Arabs.
    The Jewish hurdle
    Obama: I disagree with aide who blamed 'NY, Miami' for failed peace talks.
      1.   Dicter is right, and Israel isn`t the only 21:10  |  MaryRose 08/03/08
      2.   What? 21:14  |  Nemesis 08/03/08
      3.   Remember Mercaz Harav will be heard all thru Gaza very soon 21:42  |  Dish It Out 08/03/08
      4.   Israel government helps pals 21:56  |  Chris 08/03/08
      5.   Expelled to W. Bank?? This is the Holy Land! To Arabia! 21:59  |  Chris 08/03/08
      6.   Israel must send the message that.... 22:01  |  leo 08/03/08
      7.   it is only logical 22:20  |  alan 08/03/08
      8.   THANKS NUMBER 3 22:23  |  ISRAEL 4 EVER 08/03/08
      9.   Who do you trust? 22:23  |  Listento Wiseman 08/03/08
      10.   Jerusalem 22:24  |  Nick Ardoyno 08/03/08
      11.   A MOSQUE IS NO LONGER A HIDING PLACE 22:27  |  Listento Wisman 08/03/08
      12.   dichter is right expell them all now and plan large scale respons 22:33  |  ralph 08/03/08
      13.   dichter is right expell them all now and plan large scale respons 22:33  |  ralph 08/03/08
      14.   to dish it out 22:35  |  JfromC 08/03/08
      15.   Kudos to Jordon 22:36  |  Gina 08/03/08
      16.   1 Mary Rose you`re obviously a racist just like Avi Dichter! I 22:39  |  lakshmi 08/03/08
      17.   Too Late 22:50  |  Realistic Arab 08/03/08
      18.   dish it out: WRONG 22:50  |  NR 08/03/08
      19.   Hamas claimed responsibility so punish Hamas 22:55  |  Conroy 08/03/08
      20.   terror for oil 23:06  |  M. Sigal 08/03/08
      21.   Mercaz Harav 23:06  |  George Kaplan 08/03/08
      22.   Hypocrite #3 23:36  |  Jalil 08/03/08
      23.   Just a normal Pal? 23:55  |  Joe 08/03/08
      24.   to #3 00:14  |  nabulsi 09/03/08
      25.   Jordan prevents, stupid Israel allows....mourners tent 00:20  |  Jewish State 09/03/08
      26.   What does it mean 208000 Palestinians? 00:24  |  db 09/03/08
      27.   #6--It means it will take a lot of buses to move them to Jordan 01:06  |  US CITIZEN 09/03/08
      28.   HAMAS took responsibility then backtracked 01:10  |  Doc Holliday 09/03/08
      29.   Hate 01:11  |  Robin 09/03/08
      30.   The most disturbing line in the story 01:12  |  Mark Lincoln 09/03/08
      31.   Jewish State - when is decency wrong? 01:16  |  Mark Lincoln 09/03/08
      32.   240,000 01:22  |  mark 09/03/08
      33.   #1 MaryRose 01:29  |  boxley 09/03/08
      34.   There will be no battle cry 01:31  |  Boris 09/03/08
      35.   Take your own advice Mark Lincoln 01:34  |  Bill 09/03/08
      36.   isolated incident 01:41  |  DP 09/03/08
      37.   Arab fighting talk is cheap, nabulsi 01:41  |  A Jew 09/03/08
      38.   can be no peace w/ these "ppl" 01:52  |  tony 09/03/08
      39.   #10, MarkL, Japan lost the war 01:57  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 09/03/08
      40.   #11, MarkL, when was the last time Hamas was decent? 02:01  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 09/03/08
      41.   nevralgic point 02:11  |  jose marcio 09/03/08
      42.   Has Haaretz ever reported a Jew being "nabbed"? 02:15  |  Chanalau, Tova 09/03/08
      43.   Mark Lincoln #10 - WHY? 02:18  |  GPS 09/03/08
      44.   to #4 02:22  |  LuvIsrael 09/03/08
      45.   db who are they 02:38  |  alan 09/03/08
      46.   police nab 8 in connection to Jerusalem terror attack 02:44  |  martin list, m.d. 09/03/08
      47.   you can imprison as many as you can afford 02:51  |  never be secure 09/03/08
      48.   Mark Lincoln #11 02:54  |  Bobby 09/03/08
      49.   Robin #9 your post is embarrassingly naive 03:17  |  fiona 09/03/08
      50.   To Nabulsi 03:18  |  American Christian 09/03/08
      51.   You Mr. Muslim 03:43  |  American Christian 09/03/08
      52.   Mark Lincoln - He thinks slaughtering civilians 05:13  |  Gina 09/03/08
      53.   Kudos to Jordon 05:14  |  Gina 09/03/08
      54.   #47 Never Be Secure 06:40  |  Bobby 09/03/08
      55.   # 13 RALPH YES TO THAT!!!!!! 13:05  |  petra 27/03/08
     Today Online
    Rights group: Deaths in IDF W. Bank raid were apparent executions
    Responses: 98
    Top rabbis: Harvesting organs of the brain dead is `bloodshed`
    Responses: 34
    Ari Shavit: Olmert doesn't belong in the prime minister's office
    Responses: 7
    Shmuel Rosner: Bush is now behaving like a responsible adult
    Responses: 9
    Meron Benvenisti: Israel's environmental plans do not include Palestinian needs
    Responses: 6
    Rosner's Domain
    Obama rejects advisor's comments on American Jews and peace process
    Poll: what percentage Jews will vote McCain?
    Kurtzer: The pro-Israel lobby, not obstacle for peace
    How many voters will abandon the Democratic Party? (WTR)
    Slight preference for Clinton among Jewish Democrats


    More Headlines
    13:19 Defense officials: Hezbollah rockets can reach almost all of Israel
    10:34 Rights group: Deaths in IDF Bethlehem raid were apparent executions
    08:32 Barak confirms transfer of armored vehicles to PA
    13:46 Syria urges Arab states to overcome differences at summit
    11:51 Police seize 63 kilos of hashish, guns in Givat Shmuel apartment
    13:57 MKs okay state-funded center commemorating Gaza settlers
    10:53 Israel posts clips on YouTube of J'lem yeshiva terror attack
    08:45 Top rabbis: Harvesting organs of the brain dead is `bloodshed`
    05:10 State program to tackle problem of polygamy in Bedouin community
    06:24 MKs advance bill calling for new Orthodox-secular school system
    09:42 Netanyahu calls for treasury to cut taxes and state budget
    05:19 Bible club founded by Ben-Gurion gets revived with a Peres twist
    Previous Editions