February 18, 2022
Israel has charged five Iran-born Israelis with spying for the Islamic Republic, mainly by taking photos of various buildings in Israel, including the former US embassy in Tel Aviv.
The four women and one man were recruited over social media, the Shin Bet, Israel’s counter-intelligence agency, said in a statement January 12.
An Iranian operative going by the name Rambod Nambar contacted the women via Facebook posing as a Jew living in Iran, the security agency said, adding that, in some cases, the contact endured for several years over WhatsApp.
While some of the women suspected the man was an agent working for the Iranian government, the Shin Bet said the five accepted payment. All were charged with making contact with a foreign operative – a crime that carries a maximum sentence of 15 years.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warned Israelis to be on the lookout for suspicious content online, adding that Tehran could be behind “information you consume or share on social media.”
He also said, “These attempts go beyond security and intelligence; they are expanding to efforts to influence the citizens of Israel and Israeli society, sow discord and polarization, undermine political stability in Israel and damage the public’s trust in the government.”
One of the women, a 40-year-old, was alleged to have made a trip with her husband to photograph the former US Embassy in Tel Aviv. (It was downgraded to a consulate when the embassy was moved to Jerusalem a few years ago.)
The same woman also photographed a local shopping center and provided details on the security measures in place, a target that suggested a plot for a terrorist attack on civilians.
The same woman allegedly tried to pressure her son to do his military service in intelligence.
Another recruit, a 57-year-old, similarly pushed her son to join a secret service unit and sent pictures of his military ID and dog tags to the Iranian agent.
Additionally, the Shin Bet said she also photographed the US Embassy after it was relocated to Jerusalem during the Trump Administration.
The Shin Bet said the woman was further instructed to establish a club for the Iranian diaspora in Israel and provide information on its members. The Iranian agent also told her to get close to a legislator, who was not named.
She was instructed to install a secret camera in a “massage room” in her home.
One of the alleged recruits also photographed a polling station. Some were instructed to try to get close to certain politicians.
The Iranian handler was also interested in various security protocols at different locations in Israel, the Shin Bet said.
The Shin Bet called the spy ring a “serious affair.” It did, however, say the attempt had been largely unsuccessful.
While a court order banned the release of the women’s names, the Shin Bet said, “Iranian intelligence agents make extensive use of the Internet, and there has been a rise recently in these kinds of approaches to Israeli citizens.”
As none of the suspects allegedly involved in the case had access to significant classified material, there was no indication this spy ring compromised Israeli national security. It did, however, reveal a potential weak point that could be used by Iran in the future.
Channel 13 news aired the testimonies of two of the suspects, apparently given to police investigators during their questioning.
One of them, a 50-year-old soon-to-be-divorced mother of five from Jerusalem, was identified only by the first Hebrew letter of her first name, Dalet.
“Dalet” said that 2-1/2 years ago, she accepted a friend request from Namdar on Facebook after she saw they had many mutual friends and he presented himself as a Jew.
“He asked me in Hebrew how I was doing and I asked him how he knew Hebrew. He told me his grandfather taught him. He presented himself as a contractor from an upscale neighborhood,” she said.
They quickly switched to speaking via WhatsApp, where Namdar tried to get information from her by sending her a Facebook group post with well-wishes to a new, Persian-origin commander in Israeli intelligence.
“He asked me who that was. I told him I know her and have met her, but that she isn’t my friend,” said “Dalet.”
After four months, Namdar offered to meet “Dalet” in Turkey or in Dubai.
“I told him I was still married and not yet divorced, and he continued trying to convince me to travel to another country,” she said. “He said he could bribe people and get me to Iran via Armenia, but that I shouldn’t tell this to anyone.”
Later, after the COVID-19 pandemic began, Namdar offered money to the woman after she said she was in financial trouble due to lockdowns. “He insisted on sending me $1,000, and one day he sent me a Western Union code number. I went to the bank and withdrew 2,800 Israeli shekels ($900) sent from Australia. He said he had asked a friend in Australia to send the money.”
“Dalet” said she had suspected Namdar because he refused to give details about himself.
Despite having her suspicions, only after she was arrested during the investigation did she understand the full scale of what she had been involved in.
“This entire relationship was not intended at harming the country,” she reportedly told police investigators. “I don’t want to ruin my life and my children’s lives. Have mercy on me.”
The Channel 13 report also cited the testimony of another woman, identified by the Hebrew initial “Mem.”
“About five years ago, he sent me a message on Facebook and told me he was a wealthy Jew. I told him I had gone through a tough divorce and was working in several jobs,” said “Mem.”
She said Namdar had also offered to send her money, but that she refused.
“Mem” said that on one occasion, she discovered that Namdar had offered another woman identified by the initial “Bet” to meet in Turkey and heard from “Bet” that she had bought him a necklace.
In November, Israel charged an Israeli man employed as a cleaner in the home of Defense Minister Benny Gantz with attempting to spy for the Black Shadow hacking group, which is purportedly linked to Iran. The cleaner was arrested before he could start doing anything.