FBI: Attempted attack on Michigan synagogue was inspired by Hezbollah

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has announced that the attempted terrorist attack against the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, was carried out “under the influence of Hezbollah.” The head of the FBI office in Detroit, Jennifer Runyan, made a corresponding statement, notes the Associated Press.

Ayman Ghazali, 41, recorded a video before the attack in which he said he wanted to “kill as many” Jews as possible.

On March 12, Ghazali, driving a Ford F-150, rammed the entrance to the synagogue building, where at that moment there were about 150 children and employees of the preschool center. The car contained gasoline and industrial-grade fireworks, according to the FBI. A security guard was wounded during the attack. Then there was a shootout in which the terrorist was killed.

The FBI classified the incident as a terrorist attack against the Jewish community. The investigation concluded that Ghazali’s motivation was linked to Hezbollah, but the bureau’s statement did not provide details about the attacker’s direct organizational contacts with this group.

As Newsru.co.il reported, Ayman Ghazali was a native of Lebanon who wanted to avenge the death of his brothers killed in an IDF attack. One of his brothers was a commander in Hezbollah.

According to LBCI, Ayman Ghazali was from the village of Musharara in Bekaa, eastern Lebanon. The IDF has repeatedly attacked Hezbollah targets in the area. During one of these attacks, Qassem and Ibrahim Ghazali, the brothers of Ayman Ghazali, were killed.