Prosecutors on Sunday charged an Israeli citizen with security offenses for allegedly carrying out espionage missions on Iran’s behalf, including taking photographs near the home of former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
Lekachau Demsash, 30, from the Tel Aviv suburb of Rishon Letzion, was arrested last month in an operation led by the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and the Israel Police, according to a joint statement.
Demsash admitted to interrogators that he had been in contact in recent months with Iranian operatives and was directed by them to carry out a series of “intelligence gathering missions” in exchange for payment.
According to the indictment, those missions began with relatively simple assignments, such as hiding a pack of cigarettes and taking photos, but later expanded to sending images taken across Rishon Letzion and in other locations at the request of his Iranian handlers.
Demsash was arrested in December after being caught documenting areas around Bennett’s home. During questioning, he admitted that before carrying out the mission, his handler instructed him to purchase a dashboard camera, an old cell phone and a SIM card.
On Monday, an indictment was filed against Demsash with the Central District Court in Lod, the joint Israel Police and Shin Bet statement added.
Since the outbreak of the war triggered by the Hamas-led massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli security forces have uncovered at least three dozen cases in which Tehran allegedly attempted to recruit Israeli citizens.
On Dec. 25, the police and Shin Bet announced they arrested Vadim Kupriyanov, also from Rishon Letzion, on suspicion of espionage on behalf of Iran, including photographing areas near Bennett’s home.
An investigation by the International Crime Investigations division of the Israel Police’s National Major Crime Unit (Lahav 433) and the Shin Bet revealed Tehran had ordered Kupriyanov to carry out “a variety of security-related tasks” over the course of approximately two months.
“Among other things, at the request of his handlers, he transferred various photographs he took in his city of residence and in other cities, in exchange for varying sums of money,” according to the statement.
Bennett, who served a one-year term as prime minister between June 2021 and 2022 and is seeking to run in this year’s election with his “Bennett 2026" party, stated in response, “Iran’s efforts to harm me will not stop me in my life’s mission. Am Yisrael Chai [‘The people of Israel lives.’]”
A national election must be held by Oct. 27.
