TEL AVIV, May 2 (RIA Novosti) - The Israeli police has said an exiled former lawmaker of Arabic descent helped Islamic militants during last summer's military action against Lebanon, a police source told RIA Novosti Wednesday.
Azmi Bshara, the head of the party of Arabic Israelis, Balad, faces the death penalty for having allegedly helped Hezbollah direct rocket fire and conduct psychological warfare against Israel, receiving five-digit sums as payment.
Anticipating prosecution by the police and Shabak, Israel's security service, the suspect recently fled Israel and, through the Israeli Embassy in Cairo, waived his seat in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament. He has denied any wrongdoing and promised to return.
Israel launched a massive air and ground offensive on neighboring Lebanon last year, seeking to free soldiers kidnapped by the Islamist Hezbollah movement.
