The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday convicted former Israeli ambassador to Belarus Ze’ev Ben-Aryeh of disclosure in breach of duty and obstruction of justice. The sentence came within the framework of a plea bargain agreement reached by the parties, in which Ben-Aryeh admitted wrongdoing in exchange for a sentence of four to six months of community service and a probationary sentence to be determined by the court.

Ze’ev Ben-Aryeh, who served as Israel’s ambassador to Belarus between 2004-2009, is alleged to have disclosed confidential information to Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman in 2008 regarding a request by Israeli police to the Belarusian authorities for assistance in a criminal investigation into Liberman, who at the time was an MK.

According to his indictment, in February 2008, Ben-Aryeh received a request that Israeli police had sent to its embassy in Belarus for assistance relating to the criminal investigation into Liberman, who at the time served as an MK.

The police asked that the request be referred to the Belarusian judicial authorities, the indictment said.

The indictment stated that Liberman visited Belarus in October 2008, and met with Ben-Aryeh. During that meeting, Ben-Aryeh allegedly told Liberman about the request for legal assistance, and gave him various details about it, including in writing.

According to the indictment, Ben-Aryeh exploited the trust placed in him as an ambassador, and gave information to Liberman without lawful authority.

Liberman, the indictment continued, was not authorized to receive that information, especially in the light of his status as the suspect about which the Israeli authorities had filed a case.

Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein has said that he will soon announce his decision in the probe into the foreign minister.

Weinstein informed Liberman in April last year that he planned to indict him – pending a hearing – on charges of fraud, breach of trust, fraudulent receipt, money laundering and witness harassment.

Liberman is suspected of receiving millions of dollars from private business people, through straw companies, between the years 2001 and 2008, while he was a member of Knesset and a cabinet minister.

If Liberman is indicted, he will be forced to resign as a minister. However, if he reaches a plea bargain with the state, he may be able to resign for a single term, potentially making him eligible to serve as a minister in the future. (© 1995-2011, The Jerusalem Post 05/21/12)