A resident of Petah Tikva has been charged with spying and carrying out other missions on behalf of a foreign power throughout the State of Israel, it was cleared for publication this afternoon (Monday).
The suspect, who was identified as 29-year-old Alexander Granovsky, is accused of photographing a critical infrastructure site in central Israel and the entrance to the residential neighborhood where MK and former Defense Minister Benny Gantz lives and passing the photographs to his handlers.
He also provided information on another Israeli citizen he knows to his handlers so they could determine whether to attempt to recruit the other citizen for terrorist activity.
In addition to his espionage, the Granovsky is accused of setting fire to eight vehicles in multiple incidents throughout Israel and spraypainting the words "Children of Ruhollah," the name given to an Iranian espionage operation in honor of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the first Supreme Leader of Iran.
The investigation also found that his operatives had discussed with him the possibility of obtaining weapons, including a rifle and grenades, and even asked him to carry out additional tasks such as collecting information on the residential addresses of ministers, and setting fire to a police car and a bus. However, Granovsky refused to carry out some of these tasks.
A prosecutor's statement was filed against Granovsky today, and in the coming days, a serious indictment will be filed against him in the Central District Court.