A soldier serving in a classified IDF unit was indicted on July 16 on charges of contact with a foreign agent and attempting to transmit information liable to benefit the enemy.
Details of the case were cleared for publication on Wednesday.
The investigation was conducted jointly by the Arazim investigations unit within the Director of Security of the Defense System (MALMAB), the Defense Ministry’s security authority; and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency).
According to the investigation, the suspect maintained contact with someone who presented himself as an Iranian intelligence agent. He was also allegedly asked to recruit another soldier or put him in contact with the foreign agent.
On Wednesday, the security agencies again warned against maintaining contact with foreign or unidentified agents and urged anyone who receives such an approach to report it to the authorities. Foreign intelligence agencies frequently attempt to recruit Israelis through social media, they said.
The security agencies said they would continue working to identify and prosecute those involved in terrorism and espionage offenses.
The suspect’s attorney, Nati Rom, said the case was esoteric and “at most,” it involved recklessness.
“It is tragic that a man who has dedicated his life and made personal sacrifices for the security of the State of Israel now finds himself indicted on security charges and imprisoned as though he were a Nukhba terrorist,” he said.
Attorney: Suspect had no intention of harming state security
The suspect had had no intention of harming state security, Rom said, adding that the incident was “a bad joke.”
The facts alleged in the case did not support the charges, he said.
In a separate incident, a soldier convicted of maintaining contact with an Iranian agent and transmitting information liable to benefit the enemy had been sentenced to five years in prison by a military court on July 15, the IDF reported.
The soldier had received job offers through Telegram before sending the Iranian agent two videos showing missile interceptions over civilian areas and additional footage filmed in civilian locations. He received payment for one of the videos.
The material had not contained military information and was not obtained through the soldier’s military role, the military court said. That he ultimately ended the contact and reported it to his commanders was taken into consideration, it said.