JERUSALEM (JTA) — Three men believed connected to Al Qaida were arrested in Turkey for planning to carry out an attack in Israel. Last Friday, police in eastern Turkey arrested two Palestinians and a Jordanian believed to be on their way to Israel to stage a bomb attack, Turkish officials said Tuesday.

A police spokesman in Ankara said the three entered Turkey illegally from Iran and told police they were planning to travel to Istanbul and from there to Israel, where they had received orders to carry out a bomb attack in a crowded area. The three were members of a group called Beyyiat el-Imam, which has links with Al Qaida, the spokesman said.

Increase in Israelis seeking dual citizenship

JERUSALEM (JTA) — A growing number of Israelis are seeking European citizenship. European embassies in Israel report an increase in the number of queries from Israelis interested in dual citizenship, according to the Israeli daily Ha'aretz.

These include the descendants of former immigrants from France and from former French colonies, Germany, Austria, Britain, Poland and the Czech Republic.

Ha'aretz said a number of factors has fueled this trend, including Israel's security situation, the opening of borders across Europe, and the easing of rules in some European countries for restoring citizenship to former residents.