Israeli Man Sentenced to 13.5 Years for Spying for Iran

Alexander Granovsky, a resident of Petah Tikva, has been sentenced to 13 years and six months in prison for carrying out acts of sabotage and espionage on behalf of Iran. The Lode District Court found him guilty of collaborating with an Iranian agent, endangering state security, and nine counts of arson and property damage. Granovsky pleaded guilty to all charges.

Prosecutors stated this is the harshest sentence yet for an Israeli citizen recruited by Iranian agents via social media. Investigations revealed that in 2024, an Iranian agent contacted Granovsky on Telegram, offering payment via a digital wallet for various tasks. These included documenting military sites, spray-painting political slogans, and setting fire to vehicles.

Initially, Granovsky was tasked with graffiti, with payments around several hundred shekels per instance. The assignments escalated to include burning police and army vehicles and gathering intelligence on the residences of ministers and senior IDF commanders. He admitted to knowing the neighborhood where former Defense Minister Benny Gantz resides but not his exact address. Granovsky carried out nine car arsons, filming them with his phone, and sometimes leaving the inscription "Children of Ruhollah," referring to Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. He received 900 euros for several arsons, transferred to his digital wallet.

Further tasks in December 2024 involved acquiring weapons and filming Gantz's neighborhood and power stations in Hadera and near Tel Aviv. Granovsky filmed Gantz's area and the Reading power station, sending the footage to the agent. He also agreed to purchase IDF uniforms and act as an intermediary to find individuals with criminal backgrounds for violent acts, providing data on two such people. However, he later claimed the uniforms were stolen and feigned an inability to understand incendiary device instructions provided in Ukrainian.

Granovsky began his activities in late November 2024, was arrested on December 15, and indicted on January 2, 2025. He took precautions to conceal his identity, such as wearing inconspicuous clothing and avoiding surveillance cameras. Despite knowing his actions aimed to harm Israel, he continued cooperating and even proposed his own tasks. The Central District Prosecutor's Office requested the court approve a plea deal for a 13.5-year sentence, emphasizing the crimes occurred during wartime and the need for deterrence against Iranian recruitment of Israelis for espionage and sabotage. The prosecution also asked the court to consider his guilty plea and criminal record.

Judge Me'irav Greenberg approved the plea deal, noting that Granovsky refused some assignments to avoid harming innocent people. She stated, "He carried out orders for material gain, showing complete indifference to the results of his actions, so it is impossible to downplay the severity of his crimes."