Hamas collaborator gets second jail term
Israeli Arab gets five years in prison for contacting terror group after serving six for similar offense
Khalid Agbaria, 52, was arrested in August 2010 not long after serving a six-year prison sentence for similar offenses that undermine Israel's national security.
The man confessed to the charges and stuck a plea bargain with the prosecution. Part of the prison sentence was due to a suspended jail term set in motion against the accused, a remnant from his previous trial also based on security offenses.
His brother-in-law, Mazen Mahzouma, was also arrested and indicated along with Agbaria, and his trial is still ongoing.
Nabil, Mahzouma's brother, is the Hamas operative with whom the accused was in contact with. Between 2000 to 2006, when Agbaria was in jail, Nabil transferred nearly $120,000 to him and Mazan with the help of Mahmoud Mahzouma, another brother of the family.
Shortly after Agbaria realized Mahamoud had not transferred the full amount of money, and said he was suppose to receive another $65,000. Mazan conferred with Nabil and renewed ties between the defendants and Hamas operator.
According to the indictment, during their conversation Nabil confirmed the relationship was to be renewed so at to continue and operate against Israel as well.
Nabil later met the accused in Saudi Arabia, where he learned how to use the internet to keep in touch with the Hamas operative. He was also given a map leading to a weapons and money cache hidden in the community of Tzippori located at the Lower Galilee.
The two then tried to locate the secret hiding place, but were unsuccessful. Nabil even gave the accused another, more precise map with a picture, however he still was unable to find it.
Agbaria also met with Nabil and other operatives in Saudi Arabia to discuss "the situation of the Israeli Arabs and the situation at the West Bank and the Gaza Strip."
'Reattached himself to Hamas'
The man confessed to the charges against him during a plea bargain, which did not include an agreed upon sentence. The prosecutor claimed Agbaria should be sent to a minimum of six years behind bars. However the defense counsel said the charges this time around are less severe than those of the previous case.
Presiding Judge Yosef Elron and judges Moshe Gilad and Avraham Elyakim wrote in the sentence that "even if the initial contact with Nabil was intended to receive the money promised to him for his previous operations against national security, then the continuing of the relationship with Nabil, the intensity for a long period of time, their meetings with others and his responsiveness to follow through on assignments imposed on him – all of these teach us that the accused reattached himself to the terror organization and aided it as requested."
Despite this, Agbaria was only sentenced to four years in prison in this case, and the court also activated a two-year probation against him for his previous case.
Only one out of the two years will be served, so Agbaria is expected to actually only serve five years behind bars. He was also sentenced to a two year suspended prison sentence and NIS 20,000 ($5,808).
"We were surprised by the sentencing. We expected at least seven to eight years," an official from the prosecution said, adding that after they sufficiently peruse the ruling they will most likely appeal for a longer prison sentence.
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