An American being held in Israel on weapons charges has told investigators he was considering attacking Muslim holy sites, Israeli police say.
Adam Everett Livix, a Christian wanted in the US on drugs charges, was arrested last month after an undercover agent discovered the alleged plot.
Weapons and ammunition stolen from the Israeli army were found at his home.
Mr Livix’s lawyer said the Israeli authorities were exaggerating the security implications of the case.
His arrest comes with tensions between Israelis and Palestinians running high because of a dispute over access to a major holy site in Jerusalem known to Jews as the Temple Mount and Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif.
Psychiatric assessment
Mr Livix was charged on Monday with conspiring with his roommate, an Israeli soldier, to steal 1.4kg (3lb) of explosives from the Israeli army and being in the country illegally.
The Israeli authorities said the 30-year-old Texan was believed to have arrived in the Palestinian territories in 2013.
At first he lived in Hebron and Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, where he was allegedly asked by a Palestinian if he would be willing to assassinate US President Barack Obama during a visit to the region. Mr Livix refused the request, according to police.
Mr Livix moved to Israel a year and a half ago, after which he passed himself off to Israeli acquaintances as a US Navy Seal commando.
He also told them “about his negative opinions towards the Arab population in Israel and his desire to cause harm to Muslim holy sites in Israel”, the indictment said, something he subsequently allegedly admitted during questioning by the police and security services.
A court has ordered that Mr Livix be remanded in custody and be sent for a psychiatric assessment before entering a plea.
Mr Livix’s lawyer, Gal Wolf, complained that he had been denied access to legal counsel for eight days after his arrest on 19 November, and that hearings were held without a lawyer being present.
Categories: Current Affairs
The Muslim Debate Initiative 
A true definition of a Christian would be something similar to “a person professing belief in Jesus as the Christ or in the religion based on the teachings of Jesus.” Although, it falls somewhat short of really communicating the biblical truth of what it means to be a Christian. The word “Christian” is used three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). Followers of Jesus Christ were first called “Christians” in Antioch (Acts 11:26) because their behavior, activity, and speech were like Christ. The word “Christian” literally means, “belonging to the party of Christ” or a “follower of Christ.” A person who calls himself Christian, but behaves in a manner un-Christlike truly is anti-christian. Jesus said in John 13:35 “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” And what is love? 1 Corinthians 4 – 7 gives the definition “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”