Over the past year, even before the current war with Iran, there were many concrete intelligence warnings about potential attacks on Israeli ambassadors and diplomats, especially in countries with large Muslim immigrant populations.

These warnings have soared in recent weeks, forcing a dramatic shift in the daily lives of Israeli ambassadors and diplomats, with some even evacuated from their host countries, Ynet reported on Monday.

Iran, which is desperate to score a propaganda victory on an Israeli target, has begun activating sleeper terror cells worldwide in desperate attempts to assassinate Israeli diplomats, chalilah, and target Israeli and Jewish communities.

The Foreign Ministry’s security division is now grappling with perhaps its most challenging security situation in Israeli history. Many ambassadors have been instructed to work from home, and some have been completely prohibited from leaving their residences, even after working hours. Every outing, even to the supermarket, requires prior approval from the mission’s security officer.

As a result, numerous diplomatic missions have been closed, with operations relocated to the protected spaces in diplomats’ homes.

The strain is clearly reflected in testimonies from diplomats on the front lines. One veteran diplomat told Ynet that such stringent measures had never been implemented before: “We are restricted in our movements, in our daily activities—everything requires approval. Unlike the past, we now feel that the Iranian terror ring is tightening around our necks, and that there is a real threat to our lives and the lives of our families.”

Another diplomat described the personal toll: “This time, we’re afraid the situation will last for a long time. There’s even a possibility this will become the new routine we’ll have to adapt to, and it will have serious consequences for our families—especially young children. How do you explain to a small child that they can’t go down to the playground or attend the activities they’re used to?”

Some diplomatic missions were instructed to ask local security authorities to increase security measures for embassy buildings and diplomats. Some countries agreed but others refused, raising the possibility that the embassies in those countries will not be able to reopen in the near future.

In response to the growing threats, the Foreign Ministry has established a new operational framework dividing its global missions into four risk-level categories:

• 65 missions will operate at 50% (staffing) capacity for six hours a day.
  12 missions will operate at 30% capacity for six hours a day.
  10 missions will open three times a week, operating at 30% capacity with six-hour workdays.
  12 missions will operate entirely remotely from diplomats’ homes, with no physical presence at the embassy.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)