Held a Grenade at Home: State Sought Prison, Court Settled for Community Service

The Tiberias Magistrate's Court handed down today (October 6, 2026)

the sentence of a young man from Beit She'an, who was convicted of unlawful possession of a weapon after a grenade was found in his home. Despite the prosecution's demand to impose actual imprisonment, Judge Yasmin Katily decided to deviate from the sentencing range and give decisive weight to the rehabilitation process he underwent.

The young man, represented by Adv. Nadav Greenwald, admitted to the facts of the indictment as part of a plea bargain. The agreement included a referral to the Probation Service, but no agreement on the sentence: the state clarified that it was not bound by the service's recommendations and would seek prison time.

The grenade was found inside a plastic bottle

According to the facts of the indictment to which he confessed, in a search conducted at his home in Beit She'an on September 11, 2024, a grenade was found in a pinned state, concealed inside a plastic bottle.

Before the Probation Service, the young man stated that he found the grenade in a forest and took it home instead of reporting it immediately to the police. According to him, he placed it in a closet and intended to report it later, but was busy renovating the apartment. He further stated that he handed over the grenade on his own initiative to police officers who arrived to search for his brother.

The court noted that no indication was found of possessing the grenade for a concrete criminal purpose or against the backdrop of a dispute. However, the judge emphasized that the very possession of it in the home created a risk for family members, also due to the possibility of an accident, a malfunction, or negligent handling.

The state demanded prison; the defense asked to prioritize rehabilitation

The prosecution emphasized the risk of possessing a weapon within a residential neighborhood and the need for deterrence. It asked to set a sentencing range of nine to 24 months of actual imprisonment, and to impose on the young man a sentence at the lower end of the range, alongside ancillary penalties.

On the other hand, Adv. Greenwald emphasized that this was a young man with no criminal record, who took responsibility and spared the need to hear witnesses. The defense attorney referred to three reports by the Probation Service, which documented his progress in treatment and the assessment that the risk of committing another offense was low.

The defense asked to deviate from the sentencing range for reasons of rehabilitation and to adopt the recommendations of the Probation Service. The young man himself told the court that he made a big mistake that he would not repeat, and described his desire to develop in his work in the electrical infrastructure field.

The judge ruled: Prison could harm the rehabilitation process

The reports described consistent participation in therapeutic groups, taking responsibility, and progress in changing patterns of thinking and behavior. Alongside his work, the young man acted to settle his debts and renewed ties with his family members. The Probation Service did not identify criminal patterns in his personality or an intention to use the grenade.

The judge set a sentencing range of six to 20 months of actual imprisonment, but found justification to deviate from it in light of his circumstances and the path he underwent. She adopted the assessment according to which imprisonment, even in community labor, could harm his livelihood, lead to a regression in his functioning, and sabotage his rehabilitation prospects.

Also credited to his favor were his confession, his young age, and the absence of prior convictions. The court noted that he was held in custody and later under electronic monitoring detention, respected the conditions imposed on him, and did not run afoul of the law again.

300 hours of community service and cancellation of restrictive conditions

The young man was sentenced to 300 hours of community service, a six-month probation order, and six months of suspended imprisonment for two years. In addition, an undertaking of 5,000 shekels to refrain from the offenses of which he was convicted was imposed on him for two years. Due to his financial situation, no fine was imposed.

The court ordered the destruction of the grenade and the cancellation of all restrictive conditions, including the stay of exit order from the country.