by WorldTribune Staff, March 1, 2017
An Israeli immigrant from Belarus was arrested by Israeli security forces after he allegedly attempted to travel to Syria to join Islamic State (ISIS).
Valentin Vladimir Mazalevsky, an Israeli citizen and resident of Shibli in northern Israel, was arrested last month.
An Israeli domestic intelligence investigation showed Mazalevsky, a married father of 5, supported ISIS in online posts and then bought a one-way ticket to Turkey, intending to cross the border into Syria and join the terror group.
According to security forces, Mazalevsky immigrated to Israel from Belarus in 1996 and converted to Islam in 2000 while serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and after he met his wife, a resident of the northern Arab town of Shibli-Umm al-Ghanam.
The investigation showed Mazalevsky wrote online about his intention to travel to Syria and discussed who he would meet upon arrival.