Kam's crime and punishment

Op-ed: IDF 'spy' had to be punished, but her actions do not warrant a severe sentence

Yakir Elkariv|Published: 10.31.11 , 23:56

So what do you think? Is Anat Kam a sly and manipulative ideological spy who fooled the establishment and paid a minor price for it, or a naïve girl who made a foolish mistake and lost out?

And what do you have to say about the absurdity of it all? Kam has been under house arrest for two years already, and on Sunday was sentenced to a four-and-a-half-year jail term as well as a conditional sentence – yet Uri Blau, the journalist who actually published the information she removed from her IDF general’s office, is free as a bird.

Prison Term

Anat Kam sentenced to 4.5 years in prison

Naama Cohen-Friedman

Former IDF soldier sentenced to prison term after two years under house arrest; she was convicted of illegal possession of classified IDF materials and their subsequent handover to a reporter

Anat Kam sentenced to 4.5 years in prison

The information is question may be absolute, but as it turns out its status is relative. In the hands of Kam, it constituted the basis for conviction and punishment, yet in Blau’s hands it served as a professional achievement. And by the way, does anyone remember – without spending 30 minutes on Google – what did this fateful information contain exactly? I don’t remember either.

Was Kam’s conviction a dark day for the press, which feasts on similar leaks every day? Not really. Most leakers are more sophisticated than her, not to mention much more senior, and it’s impossible to reach them. Meanwhile, “ideological” leakers will always be there, and such informants are willing to pay the price of their actions if and when they are caught.

In total, counting the three years Kam will likely be spending in prison (after her sentence will be cut because of good behavior,) she will be paying with five years of her life. The question of whether her motive was ideological or romantic will likely remain open.

In any case, one could not expect the establishment not to defend itself and use the Kam case as an example. From now on, every soldier will know that this is the punishment that will be meted out to anyone who commits a similar offence.

Overall, when taking all considerations into account, Kama’s punishment certainly appears to be commensurate with the severity of her actions, and faithfully reflects our collective embarrassment. A State appeal seeking a tougher sentence would be perceived as petty, not to mention mean. After all, Kam did not hand over information to the enemy and did not commit her acts out of greed.