Everywhere an Iranian Embassy Exists, they Plan Terror on Jews, Israelis

by Ilan Gattegno, Daniel Siryoti, Lilach Shoval and Shlomo Cesana

Nitzan Nuriel, former head of the Counter Terrorism Bureau, says Iran and Hezbollah could retaliate for Israel's reported strikes in Syria by targeting Israeli and Jewish institutions abroad. • Israeli embassies around the world raise levels of alert.

Haifa-Eilat flights were cancelled due to the closure of Israel's northern airspace to civilian air traffic on Sunday | Photo credit: Moshe Shai

Israeli embassies and major Jewish institutions around the world raised their levels of alert on Sunday over fears of terror attacks related to recent events in Syria. This step was also taken during prior periods of tension along the country's northern borders. 

Brig. Gen. (Res.) Nitzan Nuriel, Former Head of the Counter Terrorism Bureau, on Sunday told Army Radio that Iran and Hezbollah could retaliate for Israel's reported strikes in Syria by targeting Israeli and Jewish institutions abroad. "Everywhere there is an Iranian embassy, there is usually one person, and probably more, directly involved in planning terrorist activity against Jewish and Israeli targets. Sometimes it's under the cover of a cultural attache or even just a normal staffer, but these people are tasked with perpetrating terror against Israel and Jews," Nuriel said. "The larger the Iranian embassy, the bigger the terror threat is," Nuriel added.

Nuriel said that Jewish institutions across the world were in touch with Israeli security organizations to get updates on security assessments from time to time, but that their immediate contacts were with the local police forces in their countries. 

Due to tension in the wake of the reported Israeli airstrikes in Syria in recent days, the Israel Defense Forces decided on Sunday to close off the airspace over northern Israel to civilian flights. The airspace was reopened on Monday.

As a result of the closure on Sunday, Arkia and Israir flights on the Haifa-Eilat route were cancelled. Instead of flying from the Haifa Airport, passengers were bused to Ben-Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv to board flights to Eilat. 

Also, owners of light aircraft were ordered to not take off from Haifa Airport on Sunday.

The IDF said that civilian airspace in northern Israel is jointly managed by the Israel Air Force and civilian authorities, in accordance with the latest situational assessments.

Taking part in a run with Golani Brigade soldiers on Monday, GOC Northern Command Maj. Gen. Yair Golan said, "Together with the readiness and alertness in the north, we must always prepare and train, but there are no winds of war."　

Ilan Gattegno, Daniel Siryoti, Lilach Shoval and Shlomo Cesana

Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=9093

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