Moti Maman, who was convicted in December by the Beersheba District Court over his contact with Iranian intelligence agents, is sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Maman, 73, was convicted on charges of contact with a foreign agent and entering an enemy state without authorization, after he visited Iran twice and met with Iranian intelligence officials to discuss assassinating senior Israeli public figures including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, or then-defense minister Yoav Gallant.
The court writes in the sentencing that Maman acted out of financial motivation, but notes that he did so during the ongoing war with Iran’s proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah.
Maman visited Iran first in April 2024 and then in August the same year, while the war with the two terror groups was still raging.
“The sentence should reflect a significant dimension of deterrence and convey a clear and distinct message regarding the punitive price that should be attached to holding illicit and unlawful ties between Israeli citizens and our enemies,” writes Judge Benny Sagi, president of the court.
Sagi said that he took into consideration the fact that Maman admitted to the crimes and expressed regret.
Your next read: ToI Editors' Picks
LIMITED TIME OFFER: Join The Times of Israel Community today and you'll receive a physical book of your choice, carefully curated by our editors.
Choose between two must-reads: When We See You Again by Rachel Goldberg-Polin, a searing portrait of a mother’s grief and strength following unthinkable tragedy;
Or Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe by Matti Friedman, the gripping and surprising tale of a forgotten moment during World War II.
As a Community member, you’ll also enjoy our DocuNation series of outstanding Israeli documentary films, an ad-free experience of our site and podcasts, commenting privileges, and more.
CHOOSE YOUR BOOK
CHOOSE YOUR BOOK
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this