Tel Aviv District Court yesterday charged a Danish citizen of Lebanese descent with spying for Hezbollah.

Iyad al-Shua, 39, faces charges of trying to recruit Israeli Arabs to cooperate with the group and of filming military installations.

Shua visited Lebanon last summer and met with his brother, Abu Akram, in a refugee camp. According to the charge sheet, his brother told the accused that members of Hezbollah were interested in meeting with him, and Shua agreed. The two traveled to Beirut, where they met a Hezbollah operative.

Hezbollah allegedly proposed that Shua go to Israel as a tourist, at the expense of the organization. The operative instructed him to locate military installations and find potential collaborators.

Shua returned to Denmark after three weeks and was given $2,000. He ordered a new Danish passport and arrived in Israel on December 29, staying with relatives in the north.

On January 6, he traveled by train to Tel Aviv from Nahariya and filmed the route on video, arousing the suspicion of other passengers. He was arrested on arrival in Tel Aviv and reportedly had documents addressed to Hezbollah in his possession. (© Copyright 2005 Haaretz. 02/03/05)