Court approves Uri Blau's plea bargain

Journalism embroiled in Anat Kam espionage affair to serve four months of community service

Naama Cohen-Friedman|Published: 09.03.12 , 14:46

The Anat Kam affair has come to an end, at least for journalist Uri Blau: The Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court approved Monday the plea bargain signed with Haaretz' journalist, sentencing him to four months of community service.

In August, Blau confessed to a count of possession of classified IDF information without intent to harm state security. Blau's community service will consist of eight hours a day in a medical center.

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"Though this is not espionage per-se, it is clearly a serious felony. Very serious," said Judge Ido Droyan. "A state's security is dependent on its ability to defend its military secrets. Exposing those secrets renders the state vulnerable to its enemies."

The judge commented that the documents in Blau's possession could have caused great harm, and were therefore "rightly referred to a 'ticking bomb' by the prosecutor."

"הפרקליטות לא הייתה צריכה להגיש כתב אישום מלכתחילה" (צילום: מוטי קמחי)

'Prosecution should not have filed an indictment to begin with.' Blau (Photo: Moti Kimchi)

"There shouldn’t be any doubt as to the superiority of State security over the freedom of press and the public's right to know," Droyan stated, "Simply because there would be no press, nor a public, if the State ceased to exist."

In response, Blau said that it was "a sad day. The Prosecution should not have filed an indictment to begin with." Blau wished Anat Kam luck on her appeal.

The documents in Blau's possession consisted of operational plans for military deployments, IDF inquest summaries, situation assessments etc. Blau held on to the documents for two years until finally handing them over to the authorities in December 2010.

Last October, Kam was sentenced to four and half years in prison following a conviction achieved through a plea bargain. Following Blau's July plea bargain, Kam filed an appeal.