חשיפה: הפלסטיני שנשפט (במעורבות השב”כ) למאסר עולם באוסטריה הוא עבד אל-כרים אבו חבל
An Austrian court this week sentenced a Palestinian asylum seeker to life in prison for allegedly conspiring via social media to execute grenade attacks in Jerusalem. The prisoner’s name may not be reported in Austria and has not been reported in Israel either. But his identity has been reported in Palestinian activist media. He is Abdel Karim Abu Habel, who was freed as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange. He eventually made his way to Austria and requested asylum there.
As part of Israel’s intrusive surveillance of Palestinian social media activity, the Shabak allegedly discovered contacts Abu Habel made with Palestinians in Israel. The security services eventually arrested four Palestinians, and turned them, persuading them to testify against Abu Habel. The Shabak then approached the Austrian police and demanded that they prosecute him. They obliged. According to the Israeli ministry of justice announcement, the Shabak played a critical role in the prosecution offering the state evidence of Abu Habel’s alleged crimes.
Among the forms of assistance offered, an Austrian judge examined the four Palestinians and took their testimony via video conference. Doubtless, she was not aware of the extent of torture and other forms of abuse exploited by Israeli interrogators to obtain “confessions” from security suspects. The Austrian accepted the testimony and earlier this week sentenced the Palestinian to life in prison. The four Palestinians are still in the midst of their legal proceedings. Their “cooperation” will no doubt shave a few years off the lengthy sentences they face.
I find this entire case suspect on numerous grounds: first, why should a sovereign country need to enlist a foreign intelligence agency to make practically an entire case against someone in its jurisdiction? Would the U.S. permit the Shabak to furnish an entire case against a Palestinian suspect and then sentence him to life in prison solely on the basis of the Shabak testimony? Never happen–though we have unfortunately permitted Shabak agents to testify in court cases while masking their identity from the defendant, in violation of constitutional rights.
Second, why should an Austrian court believe testimony offered by Shabak or by detainees tortured under Shabak auspices? At least, the Austrians should have demanded that the witnesses testify in Austrian court so the judge could judge whether they testified voluntarily and truthfully. Further, the Shabak and most other Israeli intelligence and military services are notorious for concocting entire cases out of whole cloth. Here at this blog I’ve reported numerous such cases. So why should Austria believe anything it was told by the Israeli intelligence service?
Austria might likely have heard of the assassination of a Palestinian in the Palestinian embassy in Bulgaria by the Israeli Mossad, after the authorities dragged their heels in prosecuting him while under intense Israeli pressure to do so. The Austrians didn’t want a repeat of that mess.
In light of the spate of ISIS terror attacks in Europe, countries like Austria may’ve viewed Abu Habel’s case as yet another example of what might happen if the authorities don’t crack down on asylum seekers allegedly abusing the system. That would militate toward a decisive and harsh verdict.
Third, Austria’s justice system has permitted itself to be recruited by Israel’s secret police to join in an international campaign against Hamas. It’s not bad enough that the Shabak wages this failed war within Israel and conquered Palestine. Now it seeks to export the war abroad and co-opt foreign jurisdictions to fight it on Israel’s behalf.
Fourth, while I don’t know the particulars of this case, common sense says that a man seeking asylum is highly unlikely to destroy his chance of obtaining it by planning terror attacks. And why would he use Facebook as a method to plan a terror attack, knowing that Israeli authorities monitor it intensively for precisely this sort of activity? If you were recruiting conspirator to conduct a terror attack, doing so on social media seems an awfully inefficient and haphazard way of doing it. How do you even know who you’re speaking to? How do you know it’s a legitimate person and not a Shabak agent posing as a would-be terrorist?
It’s entirely possible some or all of these charges are correct and Abu Habel did plan terror attacks. But my money is on him being innocent or a far less guilty party than is made out by the Israeli secret police.
why was this guy in israeli jail in the first place? did he kill anybody?
Their testimony was given in a video conference, LIVE!!!
They could have said whatever they have wanted.
Writing they have lied for a few years off their sentences has so proof and even worse, it says these brave fighters are cowards who will give in a fellow Palestinian for a reduced sentence. Shame!
@ Daniel: I’ve now asked you three times to change your comment handle. Add an initial to your handle so we can distinguish you from “Danny.” Please don’t make me ask again.
As for the witnesses, sure sitting in a Tel Aviv courtroom with their Shin Bet torturers sitting right next to them they could’ve said whatever they wanted…and been escorted back to the dungeons for more “treatment.”
As for what a man will do under torture, I suggest you volunteer to take the Shabak interrogation treatment and then tell us you withheld the secret you didn’t want them to know. Then we can see how big & strong you are. But I am impressed that you believe that Palestinians planning terror attacks are “brave fighters.” And that you stand up for their honor. That’s gratifying. We’ll let them know & I’m sure they’ll be grateful…
“Danny” have started commenting after me.
Why won’t you ask him to change his name?
And how do you know I am not one of the many nicknames that you have banned b/c they didn’t obey your anti-hasbara “rules”?
@ Daniel: You are skirting the edge here. I run the blog. I asked you to add an initial to your handle. If you want to make a federal case out of this, be my guest. But you won’t win unless your goal is to prove that you are a victim, when you aren’t.
The comment rules make clear that I don’t negotiate over administrative issues. If you don’t like it, no one’s tying yr hands and saying you have to be here (unless that’s your official assignment).
Your comment is also quite interesting because it intimates what many others have commented here overtly: that there is a network of thinly concealed hasbara commenters here who cycle in & out as they’re banned. Thanks for affirming this notion. It’s yet another proof of the aptness of my “Ben Gurion” theory.
[comment deleted: comments must be on-topic & relate directly to the blog post]
Ah, Daniel, the great anti-semite hunter again…
[comment deleted: if you post any further Islamophobic comments you will be moderated or lose your comment privileges. Also, do not post more than three comments in any 24 hour period.]
[comment deleted: you were warned, now banned.]
There is some induction in drawing the conclusion Richard BUT it is totally inline with ‘how it works’.
What people say on Facebook is what they ‘think’ and not any indication of real actions. I think Israel is a crappy arse racist state that perfectly embodies ‘Jewdisam’ and that every damn Jew should be deeply ashamed of the last 70+ years and they should all buy running shoes and piss off. But what I think doesn’t matter and nor will it change the paradigm.
I’ve suggested evacuating the decent people and dropping a neutron bomb on the rest (30 day Facebook ban for that) but clearly I have no means to select who is decent, to evacuate them or to construct a neutron bomb.
If we are going to put people on trial for what they think, I’d suggest we start with the leaders of this crappy paradigm who lie their arses off to protect Israel from the forces of international justice.
Whatever we might suggest rarely leads to action. Nor is what we say a powerful incitement compared to the reality of home demolitions, deaths of family members, the daily insultings and abuse. The idea that words in Facebook posts are incitement and that the daily treatments of Palestinians is just and without real consequences is frankly the work of delusional psychopaths & sociopaths in Israel and within the Zionists thought bubble of pig shit.
The Zionists representatives on Facebook are some of the worst scum on earth. I have personally witnessed called for the death of Stephen Hawking, Obama, awakened political leaders, musicians… you name it.
Jail me for thinking but over 15 years I have lost any interest in the survival of Israel in any form! What happens to those people is of zero interest to me. That’s not because of association with Palestinians but directly the result of interactions with Zionists. The danger they face is purely of their own making.
Yani, do you think b/c you make your death wishes for an entire nation in a poetic way it is less poisoning?
I suggest you view this YouTube clip about how the left made the right win(g) – https://youtu.be/GLG9g7BcjKs
Poor Daniel in the anti-Semites-den…
@Elisabeth: doing battle with the anti Semitic lions.
[comment deleted: comments consisting of gratuitous snark & which do not contain a substantive argument or idea are not valid comments.]
The terrorist was convicted by a six man Austrian jury.
@Anya: so there was no Austrian judge overseeing the case? Besides, are 6 Austrians with no understanding of Shabak & its modus operandi going to be able to understand the issues involved in this testimony? No.
[Comment deleted: comment rules direct that comments must contain a substantial idea or argument. A comment offering just a link must be considered spam or hasbara. That is, take the time and trouble to explain what your point is. If you can’t be bothered to do so, then neither can we to read it. Respect the comment rules.]
[comment deleted: you know what the comment rules are. If you can’t respect them, your comments will be deleted. You don’t like the rules, go elsewhere.]