A Jerusalem court sentenced Elimelech Stern, a young Hasidic man from Beit Shemesh, to three years in prison Thursday for contact with Iranian agents.
Stern carried out multiple tasks for a foreign operative using the alias "Anna," including hanging protest posters with bloodied hands, collecting a phone from Atlit, and distributing cash in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. He recruited two other Israelis to help and received payment in cryptocurrency.
Judge Hanna Miriam Lomp imposed a lighter sentence than other Iranian recruitment cases, noting Stern "didn't know it was Iran" and had a positive character assessment. "The heart is saddened that such a young Torah scholar went from a 'high roof to a deep pit'," she said.
"Anna" also tried to get Stern to send packages with a knife and flowers to an Israeli ambassador's home abroad, but he refused, saying he feared prison.
Stern was convicted of contact with a foreign agent and conspiracy to make threats. He must also pay a 10,000 shekel fine.
The case is one of dozens involving Israelis recruited by Iranian operatives for tasks inside Israel.
