JERUSALEM
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said Tuesday that only a "few dozen" Arab-Israelis have joined the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) militant group.
"Here in Israel, the phenomenon is marginal. When we talk about a few dozen Arab Israelis who left to fight there - it's marginal," Ya'alon was quoted as saying by The Jerusalem Post.
"The defense establishment is keeping a close eye on this phenomenon, which can radiate on to the Palestinians," he said.
The ISIL has recently seized vast swathes of territory in both Syria and Iraq, prompting the United States and its allies to launch a massive air campaign against the ISIL sites in the two countries.
Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, has denied any presence of the militant group in the blockaded Palestinian territory.
The Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, meanwhile, has launched swoop campaigns on people thought to follow radical ideologies.
www.aa.com.tr/en
