Security forces have arrested three citizens suspected of conducting security activities under the direction of Iranian intelligence.
The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and the National Unit for International Investigations uncovered an infrastructure of Iranian intelligence agencies that operated in recent months under the guise of foreign entities, recruiting Israeli citizens for various missions in Israel. In a joint investigation by the Israel Police and the Shin Bet, three Israeli citizens have been questioned over the past two weeks on suspicion of conducting security activities in Israel under the direction of Iranian intelligence agencies.
The investigation revealed that one of the suspects, Elimelech Stern, a 21-year-old Israeli citizen from Beit Shemesh, was in contact via Telegram with a profile named “Anna Elena,” being asked to perform various tasks in Israel. Stern was requested to hang posters in Tel Aviv, plant money at multiple points in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, deliver packages containing a severed animal head or doll alongside a knife and a threatening message to be placed at the doorstep of Israeli citizens, set a forest on fire, and more. The investigation also revealed that Stern agreed to perform the tasks, except for murder and forest arson.
Stern recruited two additional Israeli citizens, who carried out some of the missions for financial compensation. Stern received payment from “Anna Elena” in cryptocurrency for carrying out the missions. He received the initial job offer from the Iranians via a Telegram user for just a few hundred shekels.
The Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office filed an indictment Tuesday against Stern, charging him with contacting a foreign agent. The two additional citizens he recruited were questioned and released, pending a decision in their case.
The Iranian modus operandi
Approaching Israeli citizens through social networks under a false guise by the contracting party, is a known modus operandi of Iranian intelligence bodies. This method of recruiting Israelis for even seemingly innocent tasks provides a convenient and available platform for harming state security. In recent months, many fictitious profiles used by Iranian security agencies have been identified and monitored, and extensive information has been gathered about the entities behind their operation.
These approaches were made through social platforms and websites offering casual paid jobs, with activity conducted across all social networks, including Instagram, Telegram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and X. The approach was made in various languages, including Hebrew and English.
Additionally, mass text messages were detected with a similar cover, including a link leading to a Telegram channel with a referral to the website of the International Security Agency of Iran. Many Israeli citizens who received these suspicious approaches refrained from responding to them and even alerted relevant authorities.
A senior official said: “In this complex period, where the digital space is being used for intimidation, message transmission, or promoting terrorist activity under the guise of innocent activity, we recommend that the public be vigilant regarding approaches from unfamiliar sources and to avoid providing personal details and opening links from unidentified sources.”
Attorney Oshri Ben Yishai, representing Stern, said: “The family is in complete shock. They don’t understand where this came from. They are lovers of the state and do not belong to extreme streams. They help the state, even during the war. One cannot attribute motives against the state to him.”