Two Israelis Arrested on Charges of Sabotage and Intent to Assassinate for the Islamic Republic

The Israeli internal security service (Shin Bet) and the police announced in a joint statement that two Israelis were arrested for carrying out sabotage activities for the Islamic Republic and planning to kill a senior Israeli official. According to the Times of Israel, the statement mentioned that these Israeli citizens, named Vladislav Viktorzen, 30, from Ramat Gan, and Anna Bernstein, 18, were recruited by an Iranian individual named 'Mari Hassi.' Under Hassi's orders, given in Hebrew, they carried out various acts of sabotage, including spray-painting provocative graffiti, putting up posters, setting cars on fire near Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv, and burning local forests. They filmed some of these operations and had received five thousand dollars for their actions. The joint statement from Shin Bet and the police added that they intended to assassinate an Israeli official by throwing a grenade into a house, but were arrested before purchasing the weapon. In recent months, Shin Bet has announced a series of alleged plots by the Islamic Republic, in which attempts were made to deceive Israelis online into carrying out missions for the Islamic Republic. Previously, Shin Bet revealed a plan in January 2023, in which Israelis were apparently hired to gather information on prominent individuals.