Two brothers in their 20s were arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran in exchange for more than 100,000 shekels in cryptocurrency, Israel’s Judea and Samaria District police unit and the Shin Bet security agency said Thursday.
The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court cleared for publication, subject to a gag order on parts of the case, that the two suspects, residents of Beitar Illit and Modi’in Illit, were arrested following intelligence received last month indicating they had spied for Iranian intelligence operatives. According to the suspicion, the Iranian handlers reached the brothers through “phishing” messages sent on Telegram.
Investigators said the Iranians, who were in contact with the brothers for several months, received fictitious information from them about the alleged identities of Mossad agents. The probe found the brothers provided names of people they claimed were intelligence operatives, even though they were not, in some cases referring to individuals who do not exist at all. During questioning, the brothers said they acted for financial gain and that one of them also impersonated a security official when dealing with the handlers. Investigators said the two carried out various security-related tasks while understanding they were operating under Iranian direction.
At the conclusion of the investigation, and after sufficient evidence was gathered, the Jerusalem District Prosecutor’s Office filed prosecutor’s statements with the Magistrate’s Court ahead of indictments. One of the brothers remains in custody until Monday, while the other was released against police objections, subject for now to a stay pending a decision by the Jerusalem District Court, as requested by police.
Earlier, the Jerusalem District Court sentenced Elimelech Stern, 22, of Beit Shemesh, to three years in prison after convicting him of contact with a foreign agent and conspiracy to issue threats. Stern carried out missions for Iranian agents during the war, including delivering packages containing a severed animal head. He was also fined 10,000 shekels. Prosecutors, who had sought a seven-year sentence, are considering whether to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Such cases, which add to a series of similar incidents in recent months, point to repeated efforts by hostile terror elements to recruit Israelis for missions intended to harm Israel’s security and its citizens. Police and the Shin Bet again warned Israeli citizens and residents against maintaining contact with foreign actors or carrying out tasks on their behalf, saying such actions constitute serious criminal offenses and endanger state security.