by Itsik Saban
"A scenario in which Islamic State would take a migrant's family member hostage and make a terror attack inside Israel the condition for release is not baseless concern," says Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan • He urges security solutions for Sinai.
Public Security Minister
Gilad Erdan has voiced concerns about the possibility of Islamic State
recruiting illegal African migrants headed for Israel [Archive]
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Photo credit: Reuters  |
Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan is
demanding that all illegal migrants who have entered Israel through the
Sinai Peninsula in recent weeks be labeled as a security risk.
In consultations with security officials,
concerns were raised that the Islamic State group, which controls parts
of Sinai, may recruit migrants on their way to Israel. Some of the
migrants come from enemy states.
"It is not unrealistic that Islamic State and
other terrorist groups operating in Sinai would take advantage of [the
migrants'] distress to recruit them," Erdan said on Sunday. "The
procedure according to which illegal migrants who enter Israel are taken
to the Immigration Authority and the police must be changed. This must
be treated as a security issue that requires a solution."
Israel Hayom learned that following Erdan's
assessment, the Counterterrorism Bureau at the Prime Minister's Office
has begun discussing the issue.
According to information gathered by the
police, Israel Prison Service and the Public Security Ministry, there
has been a recent surge in the number of illegal migrants trying to
enter Israel, with several managing to make it across the border fence.
Some migrants come from enemy countries such as Sudan, adding to concerns that Islamic State operatives may try to recruit them.
"We have to take into consideration that some
will be recruited along the way and others may belong to global jihad,"
Erdan said.
"We must treat this issue as a real security
risk. A scenario in which Islamic State would take a migrant's family
member hostage and make a terror attack inside Israel the condition for
release is not baseless concern."
The Prime Minister's Office released a
statement on Sunday evening, saying, "The National Security Council is
holding discussions and reviewing the situation as needed with regard to
illegal migrants from Africa."
Last week, Erdan attacked the High Court's decision to
reduce detention time for illegal migrants, calling it an affront to the
state's efforts to deal with the illegal migrant situation.
Itsik Saban
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=27645
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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