Three chareidi men — including an avreich who got married just a month ago and two yeshiva bochurim — were arrested in late-night raids across central Israel on suspicion of carrying out tasks on behalf of Iran.
The arrests, which took place in Beitar Illit, Elad, and Modi’in Illit (Kiryat Sefer), are part of a broader counterintelligence probe being led by Shin Bet.
According to highly credible YWN sources, the three suspects – two of whom are brothers – were contacted via Telegram by individuals believed to be Iranian intelligence operatives — though investigators assess that the chareidim themselves were unaware they were communicating with foreign agents. The suspects allegedly carried out small-scale assignments in exchange for money, including photographing buildings and scrawling anti–Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu graffiti.
While the alleged activities themselves appear limited in scope, the manner in which the arrests were carried out has triggered anger within chareidi communities and raised questions about coordination between Israel’s security agencies and police.
Shin Bet forces forcibly entered at least five homes while searching for the wanted avreich, according to residents and local sources.
In multiple cases, fathers of large families were ordered to lie face-down on the floor at gunpoint while masked operatives demanded identification documents. In one incident, a stun gun was used against a father who had just woken from sleep and was slow to respond.
Residents say the operatives did not identify themselves as Shin Bet agents and wore masks throughout the operation. Even after it became clear that the avreichim living in the targeted homes were not the individual being sought, no explanation was provided as to who the agents were or under what authority they were operating.
The situation escalated further when shots were fired into the air, prompting frightened residents to call police. According to sources, responding police officers were themselves unaware that a Shin Bet operation was underway in the city.
The arrests come amid heightened Israeli concern over Iranian efforts to recruit Israelis — often through encrypted messaging apps — to carry out low-level intelligence or influence operations. In recent months, Israeli security officials have warned repeatedly that Tehran is casting a wide net, targeting individuals with little or no prior connection to espionage.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
13 Responses
Play Stupid Games Win Stupid Prizes.
These people are suspected of spying for Iran! What do you think this is, color war? The higher profile, less pleasant and the more attention to these arrests. the better. Maybe people will think twice before becoming such Rodfim.
Sentence them to twenty years in the IDF.
Some commentators do not seem to understand that there is extreme hatred in Israel for Chareidim. The ShBK can abuse people with no connection to spying, just so their operatives can brag to their friends how they scared Charedi families to death in the middle of the night.
What is the justification to beat people, just to ask them if they know the wherabouts of so and so? One of the arrested people needed medical attention, but it turned out that someone else (apparently his brother) was the wanted person!!
Chareidim are not supposed to be second class citizens!!
To Thinking out loud:
First read and then think.
Imagine the trauma to the children of these TOTALLY innocent individuals.
What “stupid games” did they play?
It’s a good way for being exempt from serving in the army.
The most overused adjective in YWN headlines is “shocking”. It’s disgusting, but how unexpected?
Palestinians are treated better! The not yet shower Torah uMitzvos Shin Bet officers abuse Chareidim because they can get away with it. The GutterRat at the UN will open his opossum mouth if a Palestinian gets touched and the Shin Bet wants to avoid antagonizing the Rat but who voices opposition to Chareidim abuse! No one! So they let out their inner frustration onto them.
I heard a second hand account about how the shabaknikim broke down the door of a suspected family in the middle of the night, forced the avreich to lie on the floor and shocked him with some device, and only then asked if this is mishpacha ploni and said no, then they repeated this torturing event another two times to other residents in the same building in Kiryat Sefer, only to find out that that family does not בכלל live in that building. Hatzalah arrived but the shaback let only one of them in the building, only to find the poor avreichim on the floor, shaking uncontrollably from their insane shock devices. Hashem yerachem. לא תירא בפחד לילות.
Aiding Israel’s most ruthless enemy to kill more yidden for gelt greed, then whine when caught??? Sick, evil, malshinim, dressed frum Rashas aiding the kameni devil are a sad regular occurrence. 100% Chillul Hashem seen by the non-religious world.
I am in shock. People that pray for our soldiers daily, keep them safe by learning fifteen hours daily, and do not have internet. Please tell me how we can support them and how much a lawyer will charge to get them back in the bet medrash so the will be able to defend my children in the army
i can imagine the likes of some commentators on this site spying for Iran
smerel and shlomomo, did you not read the article? These people had no idea they were working for Iran. In the case of someone paid to take photos of buildings, that’s not even against the law! So why the hostility to them? They needed simply to be informed who was paying them, and told to stop. And the public needs to be warned that when you’re contacted anonymously and asked to do unusual things for money, you should be suspicious.