Israeli-Arab charged with espionage

Prominent Arab-Israeli political activist Ameer Makhoul, 42, has been charged with agreeing to spy for Hezbollah. An indictment was filed against Makhoul, the head of an umbrella group for Arab NGOs in Israel. He was charged with serious espionage, assisting an enemy at a time of war and maintaining contact with an enemy agent. The investigation revealed that Makhoul, who is also an author and the brother of a former Knesset member, confessed during a police interrogation in 2008 that he met with a Hezbollah operative in Denmark and agreed to begin collecting intelligence on Israeli security services. Makhoul allegedly relayed the exact location on two Shin Bet facilities in northern Israel. He also provided the Shiite group with details about the Rafael defense industry facility as well as a Mossad office located in northern Israel.