An Israeli court sentenced Moti Maman, who was convicted of contact with a foreign agent after meeting with intelligence officials in Iran, to ten years in prison.
The judges‘ decision stated: „Motivated by financial gain, he committed offenses of entering an enemy state and contacting a foreign agent; he received several thousand dollars from Iranian officers, negotiated with them financially, and requested a million dollars. While doing so, he published posts on social media supporting Likud and Netanyahu.“
They also noted that great weight should be given to the timing of the offenses, during wartime, when Iran is a significant enemy of the State of Israel, all while the IDF is fighting on many fronts.
Maman persisted in his actions when he met with hostile entities in enemy territory, suggesting that his ideological rationale outweighed the financial one. In Maman’s favor, it was noted that he fought in the first Lebanon War and provided food to many bases since the war broke out.
Maman (72) was convicted last December, based on his confession, of committing offenses of contact with a foreign agent and entering an enemy state without permission.
This is the first such conviction during the Swords of Iron war. There are several other cases in which the prosecution filed serious indictment against Israeli citizens who were recruited by Iranian agents to harm the State of Israel and its citizens.
He admitted to having contacts with Iranian agents, including joint meetings on Iranian soil. He claimed he was motivated by financial gain.
The indictment he confessed to shows that he entered Iran twice and during meetings with the Iranian agents, discussed the possibility of carrying out terrorist acts on Israeli soil, with the aim of causing severe harm to the security of the State of Israel. The meetings were prompted, among other causes, by the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and the Iranian regime’s desire to avenge him.
According to the indictment, „The Iranian agents discussed with the defendant during the meetings the possibility that the defendant would assassinate senior Israeli figures in Israel, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, and ISA head Ronen Bar.“
„Other options for carrying out terrorist and espionage activities in Israel by the defendant were discussed. This included examining the possibility of assassinating former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett or certain mayors using an explosive device, establishing dedicated assassination cells in Russia and the United States by the defendant, which would be activated with the aim of murdering opponents of the Iranian regime, and carrying out money laundering in Israel for others.“
