Three Israeli Citizens Charged with 'Espionage for Iran'

Israeli media reported that three citizens of the country have been charged with espionage for the Islamic Republic of Iran and will be tried. According to reports published on Tuesday, July 16, these three individuals are accused of carrying out specific actions in Israel at the request of an Iranian intelligence agent in recent months. They were arrested and interrogated by Shin Bet, Israel's internal security service, and the international investigations unit of the Israeli police known as Lahav 433. However, the news of the charges was announced on Tuesday when the prosecution presented an indictment against them in court. Shin Bet confirmed to the media the arrest, investigation, and presentation of the indictment against these three individuals. Israeli media described the indictment submitted to the Jerusalem District Court as 'serious.' Nevertheless, two of the three suspects have been temporarily released until the trial begins. Reports indicate that 21-year-old Elimelech Stern was in contact via a Telegram channel with an Iranian intelligence agent who asked him to deliver items such as a decapitated animal or a decapitated doll to the homes of certain Israelis. According to the contents of the indictment against Mr. Stern, he was in contact with someone who identified themselves as 'Anna Elena' on Telegram, who assigned him various tasks. Mr. Stern is accused of posting flyers in Tel Aviv, hiding cash packages in specific locations in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and delivering a decapitated doll with a threatening message to a location indicated by 'Anna Elena.' He is also accused of committing arson at the request of 'Anna Elena' and agreeing to receive cryptocurrency. The indictment adds that Mr. Stern recruited two others to collaborate with him. The names of these two individuals, who have been released until the trial begins, have not been disclosed. Media outlets affiliated with Haredi Jews reported last month that a Haredi youth in the city of 'Beit Shemesh' in central Israel was taken by Shin Bet on suspicion of espionage for Iran during a security forces raid on his home. Local Haredi clergy stated that the young man is 'innocent' and 'his innocence will soon be proven.' Oshri Ben-Yishai, Mr. Stern's lawyer, said the family of this young man is in complete shock. They do not understand where this accusation came from, as they are a family that loves Israel and does not belong to extremist movements, and they are also assisting the government during the ongoing war. A 'senior Israeli official' whose name was not disclosed by i24 advised Israeli citizens on Tuesday to 'not disclose any personal information' in this sensitive situation, to be cautious of contact with suspicious agents, and to avoid opening links from these unknown agents. Eliyahu Yossian, an expert on Iran in Israel and a former officer in the Israeli military intelligence, stated last week that the Islamic Republic of Iran plays a role in many recent protest events and provocations in Israel. Shin Bet and the national international investigations unit of the Israeli police stated on Tuesday that the use of social media by the Islamic Republic of Iran to contact Israeli citizens is one of the known actions of Iranian intelligence agencies. These two entities added that the profiles used by Iranian intelligence and security agencies are under observation, and a lot of information has been gathered about their activation agents. While in recent years there have been cases of indictments against citizens on charges of espionage for Iran leading to heavy prison sentences, such as the case of former minister Gonen Segev, other cases have ended with the acquittal of suspects or have been proven in court to involve less severe crimes than those stated by the country's internal security agency. The Jerusalem court two years ago tried five women, including middle-aged and elderly Israeli women born in Iran, along with the husband of one of them, on charges of contact with 'Rambod Namdar,' who was an 'Iranian intelligence agent.' At the end of that controversial trial, during which one of the women attempted suicide, the judge ruled that these women had no intention of harming Israel's security and were simply in contact with Rambod Namdar through social media out of naivety. Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has named Israel as its enemy, there have been numerous cases of arrests of individuals in both countries on suspicion of espionage for the other side. However, a long list of operations attributed to Israel carried out on Iranian soil seemingly indicates a stronger Israeli intelligence infiltration into the Iranian government, while Iranian security agencies have been engaging with Israeli citizens to carry out some actions that apparently hold little intelligence value.