Police arrest new suspect in Jewish terrorist case

By Chaim Levinson, Haaretz Correspondent and News Agencies

Israeli security forces on Tuesday arrested a man suspected of serving as an accomplice to alleged Jewish terrorist Yaakov (Jack) Teitel.

The newest suspect, Yosef Spinoza, lives in the West Bank settlement outpost Shvut Rachel alongside Teitel. Police detained him for questioning about two weeks ago, but released him after a few hours.

Security forces investigating the allegations against Teitel believe he may have committed a number of murders in addition to those he admitted in his interrogation.

Teitel, 36 allegedly planted several explosives and murdered two Palestinians. He was arrested three weeks ago and has confessed to a majority of the allegations against him.

The Shin Bet security service is now trying to prove he was behind other unsolved murder cases in Jerusalem and the West Bank, although he has denied them.

The Shin Bet and police are also trying to link Teitel to the terror attack on the Tel Aviv gay center Bar Noar, although his alibi for that night was checked and found solid. Security forces suspect he is covering for another person whom he sent to carry out the attack.

Investigators believe Teitel, whose command of Hebrew is limited, had an accomplice who helped him write hate notices in Hebrew, without knowing of Teitel’s widespread terrorist activity.

Teitel, who is undergoing psychiatric examination, will be brought to court Wednesday for the extension of his remand.

Teitel’s attorney Adi Keidar said his client told him that half a year ago he had been called in by the Shin Bet for a warning. The Shin Bet sometimes warns people who are considered potentially dangerous that they are under surveillance, in hopes of deterring them.

Teitel was arrested three weeks ago on suspicion of murder and involvement in several murder and bomb plots.

Teitel’s wife Rivka refuses to speak, even to relatives, until she sees him again and discusses the situation with him.

“All she’s interested in is taking care of their four little children. It is not simple. She doesn’t think about other things. This story may be new to the public but we’ve been dealing with it for a month already,” Teitel’s brother-in-law and neighbor Moshe Avitan said Monday.