A doctor who worked at Soroka Medical Center in southern Israel was sentenced Monday to 27 months in prison after being convicted of membership in the Islamic State terrorist organization (ISIS). The Be'er Sheva Magistrate's Court found that Dr. Mohammed Azzam had undergone a prolonged process of ideological radicalization, pledged allegiance to the group's leader after the October 7 massacre and possessed instructions for manufacturing explosives and poisons.
The court also imposed a 12-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of 15,000 shekels. According to the ruling by Judge Shosh Shitrit, Azzam systematically consumed ISIS propaganda from 2014 until his arrest in July 2024. Over the years, his identification with the terrorist organization deepened, and after the Hamas-led October 7 attack and the outbreak of the Gaza war, he decided to formally join ISIS by pledging allegiance to its leader. The court found that his radicalization intensified further after taking the oath.
Dr. Mohammed Azzam
Shitrit rejected the notion that Azzam's activities were driven merely by curiosity, finding that they reflected a sustained process of ideological radicalization and the development of operational knowledge and capabilities. Investigators discovered extensive extremist material on his electronic devices, including ISIS propaganda, videos of combat and executions, and manuals detailing how to manufacture explosives and poisonous substances. The court determined that possession of the materials created a serious potential threat to national security and public safety.
Prosecutors from the Southern District Attorney's Office, who sought a lengthy prison sentence, argued that the circumstances were particularly severe given the duration of Azzam's radicalization, the volume of terrorist material he accumulated and his decision to join ISIS during wartime. The court also emphasized the potential danger arising from his position as a physician at a public hospital, where civilians and wounded soldiers received treatment, and the need for deterrent sentences in cases involving membership in terrorist organizations.
"This is a serious case in which an Israeli citizen chose to join the ISIS terrorist organization and pledged allegiance to it after October 7," prosecutor Hofit Kantarovitz said following the sentencing. She noted that Azzam had spent years systematically consuming terrorist propaganda, watching combat and execution videos and downloading instructions for preparing explosives and poisons.
"The court attached particular gravity to the fact that the defendant served as a doctor at a public hospital where civilians and wounded soldiers were treated," Kantarovitz said. She described a stark contradiction between the medical profession, which is founded on compassion, saving lives and treating patients regardless of their identity, and Azzam's decision to become a member of a murderous terrorist organization.
The prosecution said the sentence reflected the seriousness of his actions and the need to deter others from joining terrorist groups. In light of the circumstances, authorities have forwarded Azzam's details to the Health Ministry for consideration of revoking his medical license.