Israeli Arab activist confesses to spying for Hezbollah
Ameer Makhoul admits to charges of espionage, contact with a foreign agent and conspiring to assist an enemy, in plea bargain reached Wednesday.
By Jack KhouryA plea bargain in the espionage case against political activist Ameer Makhoul was reached on Wednesday, with Makhoul confessing to charges of conspiring to assist an enemy, contact with a foreign agent and espionage for Hezbollah.
Makhoul served as director of Ittijah, the Union of Arab Community-Based Organizations, and also chaired the High Arab Monitoring Committee's panel on defending Arab citizens' freedoms. He was arrested in May along with Omar Sayid, an activist with the Balad party.
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Ameer Makhoul in court. |
| Photo by: Tomer Neuberg |
Both were suspected of serious security offenses, including spying and the two allegedly were in contact with an agent from Hezbollah.
On Wednesday, the plea bargain was agreed upon in a Haifa District Court after being submitted on Tuesday.
The deal apparently involved amending the facts in the indictment - which was based mainly on Makhoul's own statements to the police - and removing some of the charges against him, Haaretz has learned.
A representative for the prosecution said "The plea bargain was approved by the highest ranking levels of prosecution, including the state prosecutor. Most importantly Makhoul, who claimed he was being politically persecuted at the beginning of this, now stands in front of the court and admits to the charges attributed to him."
The defendant's lawyer said that despite the plea bargain which was reached, his client did not pass classified information to an enemy agent; he said all of the information was already known.
Makhoul said at the court that the story "is not yet finished." He claimed that many of the charges that were brought against him were irrelevant, but he decided to accept the plea bargain after consulting with his lawyers and with family.
The punishment phase of the trail will begin on December 5. The prosecution is seeking a 10 year prison sentence, while the defense is aiming for seven.
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He should have his citizenship revoked, given a life sentence for treachery and when he is finally released deport him to Lebanon where he can be with his Hizbollah brothers and out of Israel so he can never harm this country again. If he wants to be an Israeli citizen he should be loyal to Israel. If his loyalties are with the terrorists then he should loose his citizenship and his freedom. NO PLEA BARGAINS THROW THE BOOK AT THIS TRAITOR
are aryan invaders
This is why Israel needs the loyalty oath. For the same offense Pollard sits in a US jail for life.ACtually not the same, as Israel is an ally of the US. For the same offense, Hezbollah would execute him. Oh well, at least Gideon Levy can have a new hero.
we all know the israeli policy in torturing prisoners to make them confess. Its typical of the murdering country
What this guy didn't or did do, isn't very clear after reading this article, and justice isn't really served in that in this case it won't achieve appeasement. The only question it is raising has to do with the methods through which such a confession was obtained.
If not Israel no arab country would ever talk about democracy, civil rigths, etc. Arab bro, you know that, and all the world know that. Enough acting, you are good but not so good.
Is this the Tomer who has risen to promenance over the Mohamed Al Durah Fame ?? Is he the one that filmed the sequence?
you make peace with your enemies
In Iran you will get good directives. Go to Iran arab bro, workship Ala, go to Iran they know good about torture and payment for "traitors" or gays or women or jornalist or disidents(are there edisidents?) Allah is Great! (confess to him!) Arab Bro you are good joker, good enough, you can make a life.
While the Shin Bet may use aggressive means to obtain information it is far less than other countries the US of A has diplomatic relations with. So called torture or harsh interrogation exists in all countries including democracies. We in the US of A have used torture to obtain confessions and information. The Arabs.. they behead you, castrate you and do all sorts of wonderful things... just because they arrest Jews as spies. When it comes to security of Israel which is one war away from annihilation, the use of extreme force is justified. Better yet, do not live in a country you will spy against.
Typical CJ
Solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would take away much of the motivation for terrorism around the world." Everyone's been saying that for years. We should start sending security bills to Tel-Aviv.
For me as an outsider the choice is quite easy.. He is clearly an arab living in Israel as he has no connection and no loyalty to Israel. The only solution is to completely remove disloyal arab populace out of Israel proper and move them to arab populated areas...
Sponging all the benefits of living in the best country an Arab ever lived , while being a mortal enemy of that country is inexcusable . This kind of enemies should immediately be thrown out of the country , preferably from an airplane without a parashoot .
If he were tortured he would have never ever signed a plea bargain, but would rather trumped that he was tortured. he never said it.
What's the value of a confession made by an Israeli Arab, when he was interrogated by Israeli police forces a.o.? Spying for Hezbollah? Sure, I gues when asked, the poor chap will also confess to have been involved into the murder of Kennedy.
Israel is a suicidal state. A man delivers sensitive security information to an organisation with which Israel has fought a war and will likely fight another, which has declared its intent to destroy Israel and is overtly antisemitic, and gets only 7-10 years? OUTRAGEOUS! The Knesset needs to crack down on this scourge! The sentences for these offences should be doubled at least.
Israel is a suicidal state. A man delivers sensitive security information to an organisation with which Israel has fought a war and will likely fight another, which has declared its intent to destroy Israel and is overtly antisemitic, and gets only 7-10 years? OUTRAGEOUS! The Knesset needs to crack down on this scourge! The sentences for these offences should be doubled at least.
Do not neglect to moderate the "Jewish World" section, even if you think that Israelis know best. "Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius
Why is he being held by the brave security guards as if he's about to attack someone? Are they afraid he might state the truth to the reporters? The poor man looks too exhausted, malnourished and tormented to defend himself - as we all would be if tortured into a confession to protect our loved ones. One day this heinous injustice will be rectified; and Israel will eventually have to compensate for it's blatant and calculated crimes against humanity .
that´s happens in the only democracy of middle east
7 to 10 years for being a traitor. Only Israel is that stupid.
Not dissident, the person passing information to the organization aming to destroy Israel. I think this doesn't call dissident, this is called a TRAITOR,. But of course he wants to destroy Israel to. So this is called the ENEMY. And you right 7-10 years for this is a joke. Let's talk now about the Loyalty oath.
he got the time for being a traitor, not being a dissident. But we know that to the Islamist world, attacking and threatening Jews is just a matter of everyday beliefs
Do you really relly really think we're that dumb?? You have no credibility...every comment you make from now on will be like "oh its that nut again".
He is a SPY. Perhaps you did not understand the article.
Ghandi was a dissident. MLK was a dissident. This schmuck admits to being a spy. Get the difference? And where in the article does he claim being tortured? Apparently the yutzes making the claim will do anything to avoid seeing the truth.
IVAN my cosack brother, you must know that is not Israel our also brothers, the arabs, would never even say the word democracy or civil rigths. Please stop joking and pulling our leg. We are trying with .... /we all know/ so, kidding is ok, but is enough for now.
When 20% of all terrorist attacks were aided by Israeli Arabs, and so many of them are caught selling information to the enemy for money, and the treacherous remarks of their parliament representatives, whom would get them a one way ticket to jail in any other country(with another MK currently in an enemy state after he's suspected of aiding the enemy in times of war) and their Islamic monitoring committee who openly says there should be 2 Islamic states - people wonder why there's a rift. Israel will be the best example while Multiculturalism is a failure and inconsistent with human nature.
No israel, No Palestine. One State Solution is the best for all. One Man, One Vote, Equality for all inhabitants. Equal Pay for Equal Work, Equal Water Rights. No Apartheid, No Segregation...A Very True Secular Democrac Let us call it: “State of Holy Land”.
Your numbers are? imagination? 20%? your source please?
No israel, No Palestine. One State Solution is the best for all. One Man, One Vote, Equality for all inhabitants. Equal Pay for Equal Work, Equal Water Rights. No Apartheid, No Segregation...A Very True Secular Democrac Let us call it: “State of Holy Land”.
No israel, No Palestine. One State Solution is the best for all. One Man, One Vote, Equality for all inhabitants. Equal Pay for Equal Work, Equal Water Rights. No Apartheid, No Segregation...A Very True Secular Democrac Let us call it: “State of Holy Land”.
"Multiculturalism is a failure and inconsistent with human nature." Surrender to the beast; wallow in the filth, glorify nature in its unreasoning brutality. There is not one thought of supersession in your head is there? Damning you forever you will pass your ideas on to the coming generations. As an experiment, you and those of your ilk represent an abject failure to understand potential.
I challenge you to show official data behind your outrageous claim that "20% of all terrorist attacks were aided by Israeli Arabs"! Please provide your references!
You cant admit the same because you dont know details on how the operation took place. You dont know the actual facts. Your cosack moral is not ours.
I'm sure he was repeatedly beat and tortured until they coerced him into saying he was a spy...as is Israel's policies 99.9% of the time.
Other than Mein Kampf, care to share your "evidence?"
There are dissidents and activists all over the working from within their countries to improve the lot of their fellow citizens. The reason they do it is because they love their homeland. This does not give them the right to spy on their homeland and to give aid and comfort to another country. If this was the case against Jonathan Pollard and he has to languish in jail then the same can be said for this man.
Another case of blatant harassment and intimidation of Arab activists fighting to obtain equal rights in their own homeland. Makhoul has been convicted as a deterrent to Israeli Arabs to avoid causing further "trouble" and to stay away from their Arab brothers in neighboring countries. These are the ways of a thug state.
How dare we find and prosecute traitors to the nation, how dare we not let him sell information to our enemies. The nerves of us, Israelis.
Israeli Arabs have obligations towards Israel and not towards "their Arab brothers in neighboring countries",especially if thes neighboring countries do not recognize Israel's right to exist and to be the homeland of the Jewish people.
As we can see,the Arab/Israelis are the ENEMY WITHIN. The Zoabisd,the Tibis, and many motre including this one acting as the ENEMY OF Israel while getting all the privileges/benefits and yet would would DARE not were they to live among their Arab brothers countries(if they accept that is which they do not want them knowing how they behave) No wonder NO all arab countreis HATE them,do NOT want them.Only using them as pawns throughout all the decades ONly to hassle Israel.Throw the bastard out,take all his documents,driovers licence,ID cards,and OUT HE GOES.
Israeli Arabs have an obligation to themselves and not the racist, fascist Eastern European Jews who run Israel and do all they can to make Pals lives miserable.
Yes, talking with a Hizbullah-sympathizer at an international conference in Copenhagen on Civil Rights is spying for the ennemi. I hope Europe will soon start looking into the thousnds of sayanim operation for Israel in their countries of residence.