Golan Druse man indicted for passing info to Syria

Shin Bet says Dr. Iad Johary gave info on IDF deployments, training, border security to Syrian intelligence for several years.

By YAAKOV KATZ
druse majdal shams_311 (photo credit: Oren Kessler)
druse majdal shams_311
(photo credit: Oren Kessler)
A Druse resident of the Golan Heights was charged Monday with passing intelligence information on Israeli military positions to Syria.
Earlier this month the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) arrested Dr. Iad Johary, who admitted that between 2005 and 2008 he was in touch with various Syrian intelligence operatives while he was studying medicine in Syria. Druse residents of the Golan Heights often travel to Syria for university studies and return to Israel following their graduation.
A resident of Majdal Shams, Johary was arrested at the Kuneitra border crossing between Israel and Syria.
Johary left Israel in 2002 for medical studies in Syria and returned every summer up until 2008 when he remained in Syria to complete his exams.
In 2009, he met a Druse woman from Syria and they decided to marry. The couple decided to return to Majdal Shams where Johary planned to open a family medical practice.
The security agency said Tuesday that before each trip back to Israel during his studies, Syrian intelligence ordered Johary to gather information on IDF positions in the Golan Heights. He also allegedly purchased equipment that he used to gather the information and transferred it to the Syrians.
The Shin Bet said Johary admitted to providing information about the locations of IDF bases in the North, IDF training in the Golan Heights, IDF patrols along the Syrian border, security measures at the Kuneitra crossing and residents of the Golan Heights who oppose the Syrian regime.
He also allegedly passed on to his Syrian handlers an Israeli communications device, papers about a military jeep he discovered and a SIM card for an Israeli cell phone.
Johary told his interrogators he assumed the Syrians used the equipment to eavesdrop on Israeli communications networks.
Johary also allegedly discussed his espionage activity with two Druse friends and asked them to pass on additional military information that could be of interest to Syria. He and one of the friends also developed a code system that was used to send Johary information about Israel patrols along the border from Israel while he was studying in Syria.
The state brought charges against Johary on Monday in the Nazareth District Court for maintaining contact with a foreign intelligence operative and passing information to the enemy.