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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Shin Bet, police foil 2nd Iran spy plot targeting Bennett in past month; 1 arrested |
| 2026-01-06 |
| [IsraelTimes] Security services say Tehran recruited 30-year-old Lekacho Demsash of Rishon LeZion to take pictures near former PM’s house The Shin Bet security service and Israel Police said Monday that they had arrested a resident of the central city of Rishon LeZion suspected of carrying out surveillance missions under the direction of Iranian intelligence, including photographing near the home of former prime minister Naftali Bennett. According to a joint statement, the suspect — identified as 30-year-old Lekacho Demsash, who was arrested last month — had been in contact with Iranian handlers in recent months and was asked to carry out a series of tasks in exchange for money. Investigators said the assignments began with simple missions and later escalated to photographing locations in his home city and elsewhere, including near Bennett’s residence. Security officials assessed that the activity was part of Iranian intelligence-gathering efforts aimed at facilitating an attack on the former prime minister, noting similarities to a separate case made public last month involving another suspect accused of spying near Bennett’s home. An indictment was filed earlier Monday at the Central District Court in Lod, authorities said. The Shin Bet and police have warned Israelis against maintaining contact with hostile foreign actors, including through social media. Over the past two years, dozens of Israelis have been charged with espionage on behalf of Iran. In many of the cases, Iranian agents recruited Israelis via social media, specifically the Telegram messaging app. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |