Israeli prosecutors have charged a mathematics professor at Bar-Ilan University with a terrorist attack aimed at killing hundreds of Arab citizens and forcibly driving thousands more from Israel and the occupied West Bank, according to Israeli media.

The case has drawn renewed attention to extremist violence and calls for the forced displacement of Palestinians and Arab citizens inside Israel.

The State Prosecutor’s Office said the professor, who is around 60 and remains under a gag order preventing the publication of his identity, developed what prosecutors described as a “thorough and detailed” plan over nearly three years.

He was arrested on Sept. 17 and has admitted to the allegations, according to prosecutors cited by The Times of Israel.

According to the indictment, the professor spent around 18 months attempting to recruit participants for the plan and sought assistance from individuals he believed could provide access to weapons and military capabilities.

Prosecutors said he sought support from what they described as “subversive elements” within Israel’s Air Force, artillery and armored corps.

The alleged plan, which the professor reportedly called “Ayit,” meaning “eagle” in Hebrew, was also associated with an acronym referring to the forced transfer of Palestinians.

The indictment says he began developing the plan in February 2023, following protests in mixed Arab-Jewish cities in 2021.

Prosecutors allege that he obtained aerial photographs of Tuba-Zangariyye, a predominantly Bedouin town in northern Israel, and repeatedly visited the area to study potential routes for an attack.

He  reportedly prepared a 20-page document for potential recruits, keeping copies at both his home and his office at Bar-Ilan University.

According to the indictment, the plan called for 72 armed Jewish attackers to be divided into 12 groups of six and simultaneously assault Arab population centers using firearms and axes.

Prosecutors say that the plan anticipated between 600 and 700 people being killed and explicitly included women and children among the intended targets.

The attackers were also supposed to film the assaults and broadcast them live on social media in an effort to spread fear and encourage Arab residents to flee.

The indictment says the ultimate objective was to trigger a mass exodus of Arab citizens and Palestinians, with the plan envisioning people being forced to leave for Jordan, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

The professor reportedly intended to encourage additional soldiers, police officers and others to join the attacks after they began.

The indictment also notes that at least half of the planned attackers were supposed to possess firearms licenses.

Prosecutors said the professor eventually approached former Likud lawmaker Moshe Feiglin in an effort to secure political backing and recruit armed participants.

After receiving no response, he attempted to blackmail Feiglin into supporting the plan.

Feiglin, his deputy Yitzhak Hai Zaga and Zehut executive director Shai Malka subsequently handed threatening letters they had received from the professor to police, according to court documents cited by Israeli media.

The professor also sought assistance from his daughter in recruiting members of the so-called “hilltop youth,” a term commonly used for extremist Israeli settlers involved in unauthorized outposts and violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. She reportedly refused.

Prosecutors say that he planned to assemble the participants at an event presented publicly as an election campaign gathering and then launch the attacks the following day.

The Central District Attorney’s Office filed the indictment at Lod District Court and requested that the professor remain in custody until the conclusion of the proceedings.

Bar-Ilan University said it was “shocked” by the accusations and suspended the professor pending the outcome of the legal process.

The case has raised questions over the spread of violent extremist ideas calling for the mass displacement of Palestinians and Arab citizens and comes amid years of international concern over settler violence, forced displacement and the treatment of Palestinians in the occupied territories.

Arab citizens account for roughly one-fifth of Israel’s population. Palestinian citizens of Israel have repeatedly raised concerns over discrimination and violence, while Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza face a separate and far more restrictive political and security environment.

The accusations against the professor remain subject to judicial proceedings. If proven, however, the plan would represent an extraordinary attempt to translate extremist calls for the mass expulsion of Palestinians and Arab citizens into a coordinated campaign of mass violence.

The case also highlights the extent to which violent rhetoric surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can move beyond political discourse into plans targeting civilian populations. (ILKHA)