An 18-year-old Israeli from the central city of Yavne has been arrested on suspicion of accepting Iranian orders to collect intelligence on the security detail of former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett, the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and Israel Police revealed on Sunday.
The suspect, identified as Moshe Atias, was arrested in April on charges of national security offenses after collecting intelligence outside the cardiac unit of Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba during the former premier’s April 20 cardiac catheterization, according to the joint statement.
“At the request of the Iranian operator, the suspect documented a floor in the hospital that contained a room with guards who secured the former prime minister,” the statement reads.
At the request of his handlers, which were said to have been linked to “Iranian terror elements,” Atias is alleged to have conducted “a large number of different missions, while understanding that these could harm state security, all for the sake of financial gain,” it also noted.
Authorities urged the Israeli public to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious messages from unknown individuals offering “jobs” or other assignments to the Shin Bet or the Israel Police.
In a statement cited by Hebrew media, Bennett, who served a one-year term as prime minister between June 2021 and June 2022, said he would “not be deterred from continuing to act for Israel’s security.”
“Tehran, not Tel Aviv, should be on the defensive,” he stated. “I trust all [our] security forces and [will] continue my tours and meetings with the Israeli public throughout the country. Iranian attempts to assassinate world leaders have failed and will fail here as well,” Bennett added.
Israel’s Kan News broadcaster noted that the arrest of Atias marked the 19th high-profile espionage case in the Jewish state involving Tehran.
In a separate investigation made public on Friday, the Israel Police and Shin Bet announced the arrest of a minor from the Judean Foothills outside Jerusalem on suspicion of “carrying out activities for Iranian entities in exchange for money.”
The suspect, 16, allegedly carried out numerous “missions” on behalf of the Islamic Republic, including hiding money, photographing sites, printing posters, as well as burning a page and banknote bearing slogans against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He was instructed by Tehran to purchase a new mobile phone and install a designated application to facilitate their communication, according to the charges, which were made public on Friday.
Additionally, when the suspect went on a vacation abroad, his Iranian handlers were said to have proposed an in-person meeting with him.
“Although the suspect reported the existence of this contact with Iranian terror elements to the authorities, he knowingly continued to cooperate with these actors, who are working to harm the State of Israel during wartime,” the statement concluded.
Last month, the Tel Aviv District Court sentenced Moti Maman, 73, to 10 years in prison after convicting him of contact with a foreign agent and unlawful entry into an enemy state.
Maman admitted that he had twice entered Iran, where he met with regime intelligence agents to discuss conducting terrorist activity including the assassination of senior Israeli officials.