Israel sentences citizen to 10 years for plotting assassinations for Iran

The Israeli Beersheba District Court yesterday sentenced an Israeli man to ten years imprisonment after finding him guilty of contacting Iranian agents, some of them inside Iran, and discussing a plot to assassinate senior Israeli officials.

According to Israeli media, 72-year-old Moti Maman, from the city of Ashkelon, was convicted in December on charges of contact with a foreign agent and entering an enemy state without authorisation, 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-Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

“The sentence should reflect a significant element 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,” wrote Judge Benny Sagi, president of the court.

READ: Iran to Netanyahu: Any hostile action will be met with a devastating response

Israeli police arrested Maman in August 2024, while he was allegedly planning to assassinate Netanyahu and others.

Israeli media reported at the time that Maman was smuggled into Iran twice and met with Iranian intelligence agents who asked him to carry out the attacks against Israel.

According to the indictment, authorities alleged that he received payments to carry out missions on behalf of Iran. The indictment details Maman’s travel history as a businessman who lived for extended periods in Turkiye, where he allegedly developed relationships with Iranian citizens.

This is the first official conviction announced in Iran-related espionage cases.

READ: Israeli minister claims victory in Gaza ‘key’ to normalisation with Saudi Arabia