A detailed report published by The New York Times sheds light on a growing security concern in Israel: expanding efforts by Iranian intelligence to recruit Israeli citizens, including members of the haredi community, for espionage and sabotage operations.
According to the report, the trend prompted Israel's security agencies to take the unusual step of reaching out to haredi rabbis, asking them to help raise awareness and discourage members of the community from engaging with Iranian operatives.
To date, the Israel Police and the State Attorney's Office have filed more than 60 indictments against Israeli citizens accused of acting on behalf of Iran.
The defendants come from across Israeli society, including soldiers and civilians, Jews and Arabs, as well as secular and religious Israelis. The assignments allegedly ranged from photographing military bases and spraying graffiti to more sophisticated missions involving the planning of assassinations targeting senior officials.
One particularly striking detail in the report is that at least nine of the defendants are members of the haredi community. Shin Bet and police investigators say that financial hardship-not ideology-has been the primary motivation for most of those recruited.
According to the report, Iranian intelligence operates through a decentralized network on social media, identifying individuals facing financial difficulties or debt and offering them quick cash. Operatives reportedly pose as businesspeople or journalists, initially assigning seemingly harmless tasks that gradually escalate into sensitive security-related missions.
To counter the phenomenon, the Shin Bet and Israel Police enlisted prominent haredi rabbis and community leaders to warn the public directly.
Among those mentioned is Rabbi Yigal Cohen, a member of Israel's Chief Rabbinate Council, who released a video urging his followers to ignore such approaches and stressing the severe consequences of betraying one's country for financial gain.
Haredi commentator Yisrael Cohen, who helped connect security officials with community leaders, told The New York Times that the haredi community was initially shocked by the cases but is now working actively to prevent further recruitment attempts.
The public awareness campaign has even reached some of the most conservative and insular audiences through warning videos produced in Yiddish by influencers within the haredi community.