Dirar Abu Seesi
Encyclopedia
Dirar Abu Seesi or: Abu Sisi (Arabic: ضرار أبو سيسي; born in 1969 in Jordan
) is the Deputy Engineer for the Gaza Strip
's sole electrical plant
, which provides 25% of Gaza's power, and, according to Israel
, also a Hamas
weapons engineer. In February 2011, he traveled to Ukraine
, his wife's native country, to apply for citizenship, after coming to believe that Gaza was no longer a safe place to raise his six children. He disappeared in Poltava
on February 19, and later turned up in an Israeli prison. On April 4, he was indicted for his alleged aid to Hamas.
airport for a reunion with his brother Yussef, who was residing in the Netherlands
and whom he had not seen in 15 years. Just outside the city of Poltava
, two men, whom the family believes were Ukrainian security agents, entered the train and removed Dirar. After that, he disappeared. His wife Veronika, who was in Ukraine at the time as well, did not hear from him for a week. During that period of silence, she summoned the Ukrainian press and stated that the Mossad
had kidnapped him. On February 27, the Palestinian Interior Ministry demanded that the Ukrainian Interior Ministry disclose the reasons for his disappearance.
Dalia Kerstein, executive director of the Israeli human rights NGO, HaMoked
, confirmed that the Gazan engineer was in an Israeli prison. Kerstein identified Abu Seesi’s Israeli attorney Michal Orkabi, who confirmed that she represented him, but she could provide no further information due to a security gag order
imposed by the Petah Tikva
Magistrates' Court preventing her from speaking about the case. On March 20, the gag order was partially lifted with Israel admitting it was holding Abu Seesi.
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees became involved in the case when it determined that Abu Seesi was classified as a refugee. An Associated Press article revealed that the UNHCR's Ukrainian representative asked Ukraine to account for any role its own officials may have played in the disappearance.
Veronika Abu Seesi claims that Israel kidnapped him because he was the “brain of the power system” and that he had rebuilt it himself after it was destroyed during Operation Cast Lead in 2009. The Wall Street Journal and Washington Post both report that Abu Seesi had devised a technique enabling the plant to rely solely on diesel fuel supplied by Egypt that could fully power the plant. This would enable it to bypass Israel as its sole source of fuel to run the plant. The German weekly Der Spiegel
indicated that Abu Seesi's abduction was owing to information he had in relation to missing Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit
, who was being held by Palestinian militants in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
, in a live interview with YouTube World View and Channel Two News
, said that Abu Seesi is a Hamas
man being held in Israel, and he disclosed valuable information. Israeli officials were insinuating earlier that Abu Seesi was involved in weaponry for Hamas.
District Court, charged with "membership in a terrorist organization, conspiracy to commit a crime, and the production of illegal weaponry, assistance to an illegal organization and other various crimes". According to the indictment, Abu Seesi was the central developer of the Qassam rocket
among other rockets and anti-tank missiles, was responsible for upgrading older rockets for Hamas and served as the commander of Hamas' Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Military Academy.
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
) is the Deputy Engineer for the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
's sole electrical plant
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
, which provides 25% of Gaza's power, and, according to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, also a Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
weapons engineer. In February 2011, he traveled to Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, his wife's native country, to apply for citizenship, after coming to believe that Gaza was no longer a safe place to raise his six children. He disappeared in Poltava
Poltava
Poltava is a city in located on the Vorskla River in central Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Poltava Oblast , as well as the surrounding Poltava Raion of the oblast. Poltava's estimated population is 298,652 ....
on February 19, and later turned up in an Israeli prison. On April 4, he was indicted for his alleged aid to Hamas.
Abduction
On the evening of February 18, after formally filing the papers for citizenship, Abu Seesi was traveling by train to the KievKiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
airport for a reunion with his brother Yussef, who was residing in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and whom he had not seen in 15 years. Just outside the city of Poltava
Poltava
Poltava is a city in located on the Vorskla River in central Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Poltava Oblast , as well as the surrounding Poltava Raion of the oblast. Poltava's estimated population is 298,652 ....
, two men, whom the family believes were Ukrainian security agents, entered the train and removed Dirar. After that, he disappeared. His wife Veronika, who was in Ukraine at the time as well, did not hear from him for a week. During that period of silence, she summoned the Ukrainian press and stated that the Mossad
Mossad
The Mossad , short for HaMossad leModi'in uleTafkidim Meyuchadim , is the national intelligence agency of Israel....
had kidnapped him. On February 27, the Palestinian Interior Ministry demanded that the Ukrainian Interior Ministry disclose the reasons for his disappearance.
Dalia Kerstein, executive director of the Israeli human rights NGO, HaMoked
Hamoked
HaMoked an Israel based human rights organization founded by Dr. Lotte Salzberger with the stated aim of assisting "Palestinians subjected to the Israeli occupation which causes severe and ongoing violation of their rights." HaMoked works for the enforcement of the standards and values of...
, confirmed that the Gazan engineer was in an Israeli prison. Kerstein identified Abu Seesi’s Israeli attorney Michal Orkabi, who confirmed that she represented him, but she could provide no further information due to a security gag order
Gag order
A gag order is an order, sometimes a legal order by a court or government, other times a private order by an employer or other institution, restricting information or comment from being made public.Gag orders are often used against participants involved in a lawsuit or criminal trial...
imposed by the Petah Tikva
Petah Tikva
Petah Tikva known as Em HaMoshavot , is a city in the Center District of Israel, east of Tel Aviv.According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, at the end of 2009, the city's population stood at 209,600. The population density is approximately...
Magistrates' Court preventing her from speaking about the case. On March 20, the gag order was partially lifted with Israel admitting it was holding Abu Seesi.
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees became involved in the case when it determined that Abu Seesi was classified as a refugee. An Associated Press article revealed that the UNHCR's Ukrainian representative asked Ukraine to account for any role its own officials may have played in the disappearance.
Veronika Abu Seesi claims that Israel kidnapped him because he was the “brain of the power system” and that he had rebuilt it himself after it was destroyed during Operation Cast Lead in 2009. The Wall Street Journal and Washington Post both report that Abu Seesi had devised a technique enabling the plant to rely solely on diesel fuel supplied by Egypt that could fully power the plant. This would enable it to bypass Israel as its sole source of fuel to run the plant. The German weekly Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...
indicated that Abu Seesi's abduction was owing to information he had in relation to missing Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit
Gilad Shalit
Gilad Shalit is an Israeli – French citizen and Israel Defense Forces soldier. On 25 June 2006, he was captured inside Israel by Hamas militants in a cross-border raid via underground tunnels near the border with Gaza. The Hamas militants held him for over five years, until he was released on...
, who was being held by Palestinian militants in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is the current Prime Minister of Israel. He serves also as the Chairman of the Likud Party, as a Knesset member, as the Health Minister of Israel, as the Pensioner Affairs Minister of Israel and as the Economic Strategy Minister of Israel.Netanyahu is the first and, to...
, in a live interview with YouTube World View and Channel Two News
Israeli News Company
Israeli News Company is an Israeli company producing the Prime time news program on the Israeli commercial Channel 2, and most of its current affairs and news programs and items for that commercial channel....
, said that Abu Seesi is a Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
man being held in Israel, and he disclosed valuable information. Israeli officials were insinuating earlier that Abu Seesi was involved in weaponry for Hamas.
Indictment
On April 4, 2011, Abu Seesi was indicted in the BeershebaBeersheba
Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....
District Court, charged with "membership in a terrorist organization, conspiracy to commit a crime, and the production of illegal weaponry, assistance to an illegal organization and other various crimes". According to the indictment, Abu Seesi was the central developer of the Qassam rocket
Qassam rocket
The Qassam rocket is a simple steel artillery rocket developed and deployed by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas. Three models have been produced and used between 2001 and 2011....
among other rockets and anti-tank missiles, was responsible for upgrading older rockets for Hamas and served as the commander of Hamas' Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Military Academy.
External links
- Where's Dirar
- Benjamin Bidder, Ulrike Putz and Holger Stark, The Long Arm of Mossad: A Palestinian Disappears in Ukraine, Der SpiegelDer SpiegelDer Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...
, March 29, 2011 - Richard Silverstein, Israel, Extraordinary Rendition and the Strange Case of Dirar Abu Sisi, Truthout, April 21, 2011
- Gabriel Gatehouse, Israel, Ukraine and the mysterious case of Dirar Abu Sisi, BBC News, August 24, 2011