Israeli Man Sentenced to 13.5 Years for Spying for Iran, Including Gathering Information on Gantz

The Central District Court today (Wednesday) sentenced Alexander Granovsky of Petah Tikva to 13.5 years in prison. He admitted to carrying out assignments for an Iranian agent, including photographing power stations and the neighborhood where Benny Gantz lives, setting fire to nine vehicles, and receiving thousands of dollars in return.

Granovsky was convicted of offenses including contact with a foreign agent, providing information to an enemy, as well as multiple additional offenses of property vandalism and arson.

The Central District Prosecutor's Office (Criminal) noted that the sentence imposed on the defendant is the harshest handed down so far in a series of indictments filed by prosecutors against defendants who made contact with Iranian agents through social media and acted on their behalf.

It was also stated: "The State Attorney's Office views with great severity any form of cooperation with agents acting on behalf of hostile elements whose goal is to harm the State of Israel, its citizens, and its security forces. Throughout the proceedings, the prosecution insisted on the defendant's full conviction on all of the offenses attributed to him, and the precedent-setting sentence agreed upon reflects the severity of his actions. The State Attorney's Office will continue to act decisively and without compromise against anyone seeking to endanger the security of the State of Israel, and will work to ensure they face the full extent of the law."

In its ruling today, the District Court noted that "the severe sentence sought by the parties, 13.5 years in prison, reflects, among other things, considerations of general deterrence, so that anyone tempted to act on behalf of a hostile element for financial gain will know that they can expect an exceptionally long and unbearable prison sentence."

The sentence handed down today is the harshest ever imposed on a spy for Iran. In previous cases, Dimitri Cohen was sentenced to 8.5 years in prison; a soldier serving in the regular military was sentenced to five years; Moti Maman of Ashkelon received 10 years; and Elimelech Stern was sentenced to three years.