Posted on 11/10/2003 6:35:09 AM PST by yonif
(IsraelNN.com) Um el-Fahm resident Jamal Mahadjne, 47, was indicted today in the Haifa District for transporting the female suicide bomber who perpetrated the Maxim Restaurant attack in Haifa on 4 October inside Green Line Israel.
Mahadjne was a habitual violator, who regularly took a fee for driving PA residents across the Green Line illegally, taking advantage of his Israeli identity card to cross back and forth without difficulty. Several days before the attack, he allegedly drove the bomber, a Jenin resident, into Green Line Israel where she perpetrated the attack that claimed 21 lives and left over 65 injured.
The terrorist, Handi Jaradit, requested to be driver to Haifa’s Rambam Hospital. She told Jamal she is an attorney and he has nothing to fear – adding she just wanted to visit her father in the hospital. En route she made excuses while they passed Hillel Yafeh Hospital in Hadera, asking him to stop but ultimately, they continued towards Rambam. The interest in Hillel Yafeh however leaves the question if she was possibly planning to target the hospital, then changing her mind.
Upon entering Haifa she insisted she needed to eat and Jamal drove her to Maxim, a restaurant known to him. They entered together and sat down to eat. He told police that despite her stating she was extremely hungry, she did not eat, just continued staring at the patrons. When they completed the meal, he got up and headed towards the taxi without looking behind to see where Handi was. After he got outside, he heard the blast, realizing immediately what had taken place. He fled the scene and upon arriving home, burned his clothing as well as the seat covers in the taxi. He also erased the phone log on his cellular telephone to erase the calls made while in the presence of the terrorist.
Jamal was taken into custody several hours after the attack, admitting his actions to GSS (General Security Service/Shin Bet) agents. He is being charged with accessory to murder and other crimes related to his illegal actions.
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