Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Police arrest eight in connection with Merkaz Harav attack

By JPOST.COM STAFF AND AP
Jerusalem Post, Mar 7, 2008 17:05 | Updated Mar 8, 2008 22:14

Police have arrested eight people in connection to Thursday's terror attack at Merkaz Harav Yeshiva, they said Saturday. The gunman, Ala Abu Dhaim, did not meet the typical profile of Palestinian attackers, police said.

"He is not known to the security forces," Jerusalem Police Chief Cmdr. Aharon Franco told Channel 2. "He was a normal man ... who was going to wed soon."

Franco added that the gunmen drove students to school for a living, once again denying Abu Dhaim's family's claim that he had been working at the Yeshiva.
He said that while Abu Dhaim had recently become more religious, he was not devout.
Franco said he believed Abu Dahim had planned the attack some time in advance and that it was not a response to recent violence in the Gaza Strip.

"We think he had done some surveillance of the place and planned [to attack] it specifically. He chose a strategic and sensitive [target]. He knew where he was going."

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