The Beersheva District Court on Sunday sentenced Saud Abu Laban, a resident of the Bedouin city of Rahat, to a measly 5 years in prison after accepting the plea deal signed between the prosecution and his defense attorney. As part of the plea agreement, the original charge was downgraded from “conspiracy to aid the enemy,” which carried a life sentence or the death penalty, to “disclosure of a decision to betray.”
Abu Laban was a member of the squad that planned to assassinate Minister Itamar Ben Gvir,
The court sentenced Abu Laban to five years in prison, plus another year on probation, and a fine of 3,000 shekels ($829.02), which you’ll have to admit is a bargain.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir responded: “The prosecution is endangering my life (“permitting my blood” in the original Hebrew)—and the lives of all Israeli government ministers. The plea deal signed with the terrorists who plotted to assassinate me using an RPG is a disgrace. A grave charge—’conspiracy to aid the enemy,’ which carries a penalty of death or life imprisonment—was reduced to the far lighter offense of ‘disclosure of a decision to betray,’ resulting in a sentence of just five years.
“This agreement sends a dangerous message: Attempt to assassinate public officials and attack state institutions—and you’ll face minimal consequences.
“What makes this even more outrageous is that I was never consulted before the deal was finalized, despite a legal requirement to do so. This isn’t just a personal affront—it’s a blow to national integrity and the rule of law.
“The Israeli public must understand: the prosecution is playing with the lives of its elected representatives.”
Approximately one year ago, the Shin Bet authorized the publication of a significant counterterrorism achievement: the thwarting of a terrorist network that had been planning a series of attacks within Israel, including an attempted assassination of Minister Ben-Gvir using an RPG. Among those arrested was Saud Abu Laban, a resident of Rahat, who was suspected of collaborating with others to establish the infrastructure for these attacks. He was also believed to have sought contact with Hamas in an effort to secure backing and financial support for the operation.
The cell’s plans reportedly extended beyond assassination. They also intended to abduct an Israeli citizen from a community in Judea and Samaria. In addition, Saud Abu Laban was accused of scouting land in Rahat with the intention of constructing a facility for weapons manufacturing and a terrorist training compound.
