Beit Shemesh man convicted of spying for Iran sentenced to three years in prison

Elimelech Stern, a 22-year old ultra-Orthodox yeshiva student from Beit Shemesh convicted of conducting spying missions for Iran, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and a NIS 10,000 fine.

Judge Miriam Lomp of the Jerusalem District Court writes that although his crime was serious, his sentence is relatively moderate since his motivation was to improve his financial situation, and not ideological.

“The crime for which the defendant was convicted is serious and has great potential to harm the security of the state and undermine Israel’s very existence,” writes the judge.

“Contact with a foreign agent does harm to security due to the concern for the transfer of information to the enemy, knowingly or unknowingly, especially when this contact is translated into threats against people in Israel.”

Lomp added, “The severity of the defendant’s crimes is heightened by the fact that he is an Israeli and the country therefore puts its faith in him.”

Stern was found guilty of contact with a foreign agent and conspiring to make threats after he carried out several missions for an Iranian intelligence agent in exchange for money in 2024.