'He didn't like the country': Neighbour of man arrested in Netanyahu assassination plot

The news of an Israeli man’s arrest for being part of a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have surprised many, but it didn’t come as a surprise to one person in Ashkelon.

This person is the neighbour of 73-year-old Moti Maman, the Israeli businessperson arrested last month for being in league with the Iranians to assassinate Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and internal intelligence agency Shin Bet’s chief Ronen Bar.

In an interview with Hebrew newspaper Maariv, a neighbour said that the moment he heard the accused was from Ashkelon, he knew it would be Maman.

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The neighbour, who was not identified by the newspaper by name, said Maman was not happy in Israel and did not like the country.

The neighbour said, “The moment we saw that the spy was from Ashkelon, we immediately knew it was him. I called a friend and told her it must be him - and I was right. It doesn’t surprise me at all.”

“It was clear he didn’t like the country, that he wasn’t happy here. Whenever I saw him, he would complain. Two weeks ago, security forces arrived at the building with weapons, looking for him. He lives here with his partner,” said the neighbour.

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The Israeli Police on Thursday said that an Israeli man, later identified as Maman, was arrested last month for being recruited by Iran to assassinate Netanyahu, Gallant, and Bar.

Maman also assigned other tasks such as providing money or guns at pre-arranged points in Israel, photographing various places in Israel for mass-casualty attacks and sharing footage with Iranian agents, and threatening other Israelis who did not carry out similar requested tasks, and recruit Mossad agents for Iranian operations, according to the police.

Maman is a Jewish Israeli businessman who has stayed in Turkey for long stretches and has business links in Turkey and Iran. The Israeli Police said he was approached by Iranians while he was staying in Turkey and was recruited over a monthslong process that included two secret visits to Iran where he met Iranian intelligence operatives.