(JTA) — Israel’s Shin Bet security service arrested a journalist and political activist on suspicion that he had meet foreign agents after entering Lebanon illegally.

Majed Kial, 23, was arrested this week by Shin Bet after returning Saturday from a visit to Lebanon — which is an enemy country to Israel, Army Radio reported Thursday.

Kial admitted to leaving Israel for Lebanon last month to attend a conference celebrating the 40^th anniversary of Al Sapir, a Lebanese paper for which Kial writes on social and economic issues.

Kial, who lives in northern Israel, is also the editor of the website of Adallah, an Israeli not-for-profit organization that deals with issues connected to Israeli Arabs.

Israelis are required to ask for special permission to visit enemy countries but Kial entered Lebanon without permission through contacts at the Palestinian Authority, Army Radio reported. Aram Mahmid, Kial’s lawyer, said he viewed the law requiring Israelis to seek permission before visiting enemy territories as “arbitrary.”

Kial said that had he entered Lebanon with permission from an Israeli court, he would not have been allowed into Lebanon, Army Radio reported.

Kial added he did not meet  any Hezbollah officials in Lebanon and that his visit there was for his journalistic work.

An unnamed Shin Bet source is quoted as telling Army Radio: “He [Kial] contacted Palestinian officials to arrange for his entrance into Lebanon despite being an Israeli citizen. The journalist entered Lebanon with Palestinian documents. In the following days, a decision will be made about the investigation into his actions and his indictment for visiting an enemy country.”

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