Despite having served two thirds of his sentence, the State Prosecution on Monday categorically objected to the parole of Nahum Manbar, who was convicted in 1998 to 16 years imprisonment.
"Releasing Manbar ahead of time will irrevocably damage law enforcement and any existing deterrence, this is due to the disparity between the severity of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it and the actual extent of the punishment," said officials within the Prosecution.
The State's position on the matter was released ahead of the court hearing scheduled for Tuesday to discuss Manbar's appeal of the Israeli Prison Service parole board's rejection of his request.
The State asserted that Manbar's actions constituted one of the gravest offenses against national security ever prosecuted in Israel.
Manbar, they said, knowingly provided information and equipment to the enemy state of Iran that may have led to the manufacturing of dangerous substances such as nerve and mustard gas.
Manbar was accused by the State of having acted solely out of greed, pocketing millions of dollars while endangering the country and its residents.
Security officials opposed to Manbar’s release told the parole board at the time that his “manipulative behavior” and the crime he was convicted of did not allow for his early release.
In their report the officials specified the “immense and irreversible damage” Manbar had caused.