Arrest of an Israeli; Charges: Graffiti 'Children of Ruhollah' on a Vehicle

On Monday, the Israeli police and the internal security service (Shin Bet) announced the arrest of another Israeli citizen suspected of espionage for 'foreign elements.' According to the statement, 29-year-old Alexander Granovski, a resident of Petah Tikva in central Israel, was arrested on charges of 'committing security offenses' after being 'suspected of involvement in the arson of several vehicles on behalf of foreign elements.' Joint investigations by the Israeli police and Shin Bet indicate that Granovski has been in contact with 'foreign terrorist elements' over the past two months and has carried out 'numerous security missions for them' in exchange for money. Shin Bet emphasized that this 29-year-old citizen was aware of the potential harms of his activities against the state of Israel. Although Shin Bet does not explicitly accuse the Iranian government of orchestrating this conspiracy, the Times of Israel reports that Granovski's activities resemble previous sabotage actions attributed to the Islamic Republic. Among the activities attributed to Granovski are the arson of eight vehicles, graffiti of 'Children of Ruhollah' Khomeini on a vehicle, photographing a government facility in central Israel, and photographing the neighborhood where former Defense Minister Benny Gantz lives and sending it to his handlers, providing information about an Israeli citizen to his handlers to recruit him for activities, and purchasing military uniforms to burn them. An indictment against this Israeli citizen is expected to be prepared in the coming days. According to the Times of Israel, this is at least the thirteenth thwarted espionage plot by the Iranian government against Israel in recent months.