Indictment Issued Against Israeli Youth for Espionage on Behalf of Iranian Intelligence Agents

The Israeli prosecutor's office has submitted an indictment to the court against a Jewish man residing in Jerusalem, accused of conspiracy to kill Israelis and espionage for the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Israeli internal security agency and police reported earlier this week that 23-year-old Ardelar (Yisrael) Emoyal was arrested last month and interrogated about his two-month contacts with Iranian intelligence agents and some sabotage activities at their request. According to the Israeli police, the suspect stated during interrogation that despite being aware through media reports of the recent arrests of others on similar charges, he continued his collaboration with Iranian agents. Israeli media reports that this young Israeli has been charged in the indictment with carrying out missions following contact with Iranian intelligence operatives; including graffiti against the Israeli government in public places, identifying critical Israeli sites and infrastructure targeted by Iranian agents, expressing readiness to set a police vehicle on fire, and attempting to procure weapons and ammunition to carry out subsequent missions. According to the report, the Iranian agents introduced themselves to him using Hebrew names. A statement from the Shabak and Israeli police indicates that Emoyal watched videos on social media to learn how to prepare and use explosives. The indictment submitted on Friday, December 30, emphasized that Emoyal had also expressed readiness for an explosion that would lead to a power outage in the Jerusalem light rail, which is used by tens of thousands of people daily. A police spokesperson told Israeli media that Emoyal had shown enthusiasm for committing sabotage against the country to earn more money. The police report also referenced this young Israeli's history of delinquency and theft. The indictment confirmed the content obtained during police and Shabak interrogations, which stated that the suspect initially contacted an Iranian agent through a Telegram channel and was then put in touch with another Iranian agent to 'upgrade' the sabotage tasks assigned to him and receive more money in cryptocurrency. The number of individuals arrested in Israel on charges of espionage and sabotage in line with the objectives of the Iranian intelligence apparatus has exceeded 30 in less than three months, including Emoyal. Many of the suspects are migrants from Azerbaijan, Russia, or other former Soviet republics. A seven-member gang of Palestinian youths residing in two Palestinian neighborhoods of East Jerusalem has also been accused of attempting to kill an Israeli nuclear scientist. This week, Israeli police and security agencies expressed concern that the Iranian intelligence apparatus is eager to recruit anyone from any background, including sex offenders and drug addicts, to Haredi religious individuals or financially needy migrants, indicating that the Iranian government has no criteria for hiring spies. The Iranian government has not responded to reports of the arrests and trials of those accused of espionage for the Islamic Republic.