The father of Arab-Israeli Mohamed Said Ismail Musallam gestures as his mother sits next to a framed portrait of their son, who is captured by the Islamic State (IS) group allegedly for
spying for Israel’s Mossad.
AFP
Jerusalem
The father of an Arab Israeli teen from Jerusalem denied yesterday a claim by the Islamic State group that his son was an Israeli agent captured after infiltrating the organisation in Syria.
In the latest issue of its online English-language magazine Dabiq, IS published an alleged interview with 19-year old Mohamed Said Ismail Musallam in which he reportedly says Israel’s Mossad agency recruited him to spy on the jihadist group.
“My son is innocent, IS accused him of working for Mossad because he tried to run away,” the father, Said Musallam, said.
“He is absolutely not religious,” he said, adding that perhaps his son had been recruited through the Internet. Dabiq said that Mohamed had been tasked by Israel with gathering information on IS bases and weapons and on Palestinians volunteering to fight for the group in Syria.
It published a photo which Said identified as of his son, but did not say what became of him.
It quoted the youth as saying that his Mossad handler promised to pay him a monthly salary and ensure his future on his return home.
A spokesman for Israel’s Shin Bet security service told AFP Mohamed had left home on October 24 “on his own initiative”, implying that he had not been sent by Israel.
Official policy is not to comment on such allegations.
The spokesman said Mohamed travelled from Israel to Turkey and “from there crossed to Syria and joined IS to fight for the organisation”.
Said said his son, an Israeli citizen, abandoned his national service in the fire department to join the jihadists in Syria.
He said the last time they spoke by phone Mohammed was in Raqa, the self-proclaimed capital of the jihadists in northern Syria.
He said his son wanted to return home after having completing basic training with IS.