Spanish woman admits to aiding banned Palestinian group

By JOSEF FEDERMAN
Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — A Spanish woman has admitted to aiding a banned Palestinian militant group in a plea bargain reached in an Israeli military court. Israel seized on the conviction as proof that it was justified in branding six Palestinian civil society organizations as terrorist groups last month. But the woman worked for a separate group, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and court documents suggest she knew little about the scheme. The verdict also did not implicate her in any militant activities of the PFLP. Israel, the United States and European Union consider the PFLP a terrorist group. Israel hailed the plea bargain as a blow against what it says are the PFLP’s attempts to raise money from foreigners under the guise of humanitarian work.