Israeli Authorities Alarmed by Iranian Espionage Recruitment in Ultra-Orthodox Community

A New York Times report highlights a growing concern in Israel regarding Iranian intelligence efforts to recruit ultra-Orthodox Israeli citizens for espionage and sabotage. Israeli security agencies, including the police and prosecution, have filed over 60 indictments against Israeli citizens accused of spying for Iran. These suspects come from diverse backgrounds, including active soldiers, civilians, Jews and Arabs, secular and religious individuals, and new immigrants. Notably, nine of these cases involve members of the ultra-Orthodox community.

Iranian intelligence operates through a "net" method on social media, targeting individuals in financial distress regardless of religious background by impersonating businessmen, journalists, or other seemingly innocent figures. To combat this, Israeli security bodies have taken the unusual step of enlisting ultra-Orthodox rabbis and community influencers to warn their followers directly about the dangers of collaborating with Iranian agents.

Rabbi Yigal Cohen, a member of the Chief Rabbinate Council and head of Yevia Omer institutions, was featured in the report as a highly influential social media figure who emotionally pleaded with his followers to avoid betraying their people. Israel Cohen, a prominent ultra-Orthodox commentator from Kol Barama radio, described the community's initial shock at the revelations but noted a swift recognition of the need for warnings to prevent further spread.

The outreach efforts include targeted messaging in specific community languages, such as Yiddish, with videos from ultra-Orthodox journalists like Mendel Ungar aimed at more conservative and isolated audiences. Police and Shin Bet investigators revealed that most recruits are motivated not by ideology but by economic hardship, debt, or the lure of quick money, often starting with seemingly simple tasks that escalate into serious security threats.

This coordinated campaign by Israeli security forces to use spiritual authority figures aims to curb what is described as a "plague" of Iranian espionage attempts within the ultra-Orthodox sector.