Jailbreak in Israel, a Major Failure of Security, Threatens To Ignite Firestorm

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

Israelis and Palestinians are bracing for the next big clash, this time resulting not from another setback for the Arabs, but from what West Bank Arabs and Gazans hail as a great, even heroic, success.

As Rosh Hashanah started in Israel this week, the country awoke to one of its worst security failures in recent memory. Six Arab prisoners managed to escape the high security Gilboa jail in a Shawshank Redemption-like caper, though one wouldn’t want to carry the analogy too far.

A photo of a Shabak officer, member of the internal security service, staring into a hole in the ground in northern Israel betrayed the puzzlement and humiliation. The officer seemed to have more questions than answers.

How did the five members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and one high profile Fatah terrorist manage to dig a tunnel from their cell all the way to that hole, less than a mile away? And where are they now?

Allegations of incompetence and security failures were followed by hints that some of the prison guards might have been in on the escape plot. Then, soon after, the security establishment had an even bigger problem.

For as of this writing, the six escapees remain at large. In Gaza and Jenin, from where one of the six hails, Arabs are passing out celebratory candy. A long-elusive sense of victory and tales of heroism engulf the Palestinian territories and beyond.

The subject of prisoners held on terrorism charges further feeds Palestinian animosity toward Israel. Payments for jailed terrorists and their families have long been a point of contention between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, as well as America, which funds much of the PA’s activities.

No wonder the Gilboa escape has become cause for celebration in the Arab press. The triumphant tale has whet the appetite for more, presenting new security challenges for Israel. Arab prisoners in jails across the country are rioting, some torching their cells. In one incident a prisoner threw boiling water at a warden, though the warden managed to escape harm.

More worrisome, the IPJ leadership threatens to escalate attacks from Gaza, where recently a spate of incendiary device attacks torched Israeli fields. In a recent clash, an Israeli soldier was shot. He later died of his injuries. Anticipating rioting after tomorrow’s Friday prayers, the Israeli Defense Force are moving additional troops to the Gaza border area.

As the manhunt for the escapees widens, family members and known contacts of the escapees were arrested and interrogated, so far with little known results. Did the escapees manage to escape to Jordan? If so, will they soon triumphantly pop up on the world’s television screens from Tehran, Doha, or another friendly venue?

The top political leadership in Jerusalem is, for the most part, keeping mum. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and others have declined press requests for interviews and are yet to publicly brief the country. Calls for sacking of the recently-installed chief of prisons, Katy Perry, were rebuffed today. “I am here to continue to lead you,” she wrote to prison wardens.

No wonder, then, that new questions arise daily.

The escapees managed to get out at 1:30 am. A guard was at the prison watch tower at the time, but she was reportedly asleep. Other guards failed to watch their closed circuit monitors. According to some reports, the six escapees stood at their exit hole for more than an hour, apparently awaiting a getaway car. Yet, although the prison area is widely monitored with security cameras, no one noticed.

One question relates to Zakaria Zubeidi, commander of the Fatah-affiliated terror arm, Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. Zubeidi is most well-known among the six. Zubeidi was released from jail a few years ago, but rearrested in 2019 on shooting-related charges. Unlike the others, who were convicted and sentenced to life terms, Zubeidi’s new trial is still pending.

The mystery relates to a prison regulation that isolates members of the PIJ — one of the most aggressive Palestinian terror groups — from other prisoners held on terror charges. Why then did Zubeidi, a member of Fatah, share a cell with five PIJ prisoners? Did he manage to talk his way into being transferred to where the escape plan was hatched? Did anyone help him?

Since the escape, prison authorities have isolated PIJ prisoners and transferred them to jails around the country. Cell searches have been tightened, illicit mobile phones were confiscated, and frequent roll calls and late night inspections were conducted.

Such measures contribute to prisoners’ rioting, and beyond the walls both sides brace for a major escalation that could lead to an all-out war.

Palestinian rioting is often excused by apologists in the press as the inevitable outcome of Israeli oppression and suffocation of dreams of freedom. Gaza is invariably described as the world’s worst open air imprisonment camp. If so, how would those apologists explain rioting triggered not by imprisonment, but by a successful jail break?

__________

Twitter @bennyavni


The New York Sun

© 2024 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use