JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Islamic State released a video that allegedly shows the execution of an Arab-Israeli teenager that the Islamist group accused of being a spy for Israel.
The 13-minute video released online Tuesday reportedly shows Muhammad Musallam, 19, of eastern Jerusalem, dressed in an orange jumpsuit that has been seen in other Islamic State execution videos. In the video, Musallam explains how he was recruited by the Mossad, Israel’s spy agency.
The video shows a boy shooting Musallam in the forehead, shouting “God is great” in Arabic, and then shooting Musallam at least three more times, according to reports.
An older man speaking in French offered a rant against the Jews, including applauding the Jan. 9 attack by an Islamist terrorist on a Paris kosher supermarket in which four Jewish men were killed.
The terrorist group’s online English-language magazine Dabiq reported last month that it was holding Musallam, an Israeli citizen, saying he posed as a foreign fighter for the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, in order to spy for the Mossad.
The Islamic State magazine quoted Musallam as saying that he was recruited for the Mossad by a Jewish neighbor and he accepted the job because of the attractive salary and incentives. It is not known if the interview is authentic.
Musallam traveled to Turkey on Oct. 24 to fight for the Islamic State in Syria, an Israeli official told Reuters at the time of the announcement of his capture, affirming that he was not a Mossad operative. His family, who lives in the eastern Jerusalem Jewish neighborhood of Neve Yaakov, also denied he was a Mossad spy.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
