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Israel launches campaign to warn against Iranian recruitment of Israeli citizens

More than 25 cases of Iranian recruitment attempts were uncovered in the past year, resulting in over 35 indictments against Israeli citizens on severe charges.

The National Public Diplomacy Directorate and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) launched a national awareness campaign on Wednesday warning Israelis of attempts by Iran to recruit for intelligence and security-related missions.

The campaign, called "Easy money, heavy price", will run on radio, websites and social media, and aims to raise awareness about the phenomenon and deter potential collaborators. It also seeks to clarify the legal consequences, which can include up to 15 years in prison for serious security offenses.

According to the Shin Bet, more than 25 cases of Iranian recruitment attempts were uncovered in the past year, resulting in over 35 indictments against Israeli citizens on severe charges. Many of those approached were allegedly motivated by financial gain.

Lahav 433 officer reveals motives behind Israelis spying for Iran

Of these cases, 17 were managed by the National Unit for Serious and International Crime Investigations within Lahav 433, while eight cases were handled by the central units in various police districts.

In every case, investigators succeeded in gathering evidence that led to the arrest of the suspects. Lt. Col. Sarit Peretz, head of the security department in Lahav 433, shared insights on the matter with Maariv.

"Our unit has worked on 17 espionage cases so far," says Lt. Col. Peretz. "These cases reflect a broader phenomenon that began with the outbreak of the war, with Iranian operatives showing a strong drive to recruit from within Israel."

She continued, "The first case we uncovered involved a young haredi man from Beit Shemesh in July 2024. At the time, it seemed like an isolated incident. It wasn’t clear that this was part of a larger trend until another significant case came to light. This was the case that brought attention to the phenomenon, with several suspects tied to Iran who had carried out operations for them over the past two years."

Lt. Col. Peretz further explained, "From that point, we began to uncover cases involving two or three suspects each, all linked to Iran. Most of these connections began on social media platforms. Initially, it wasn’t obvious that they were Iranian operatives—sometimes they posed as journalists or used friendly or romantic connections. But it quickly became clear that the entity behind these contacts was Iran, with the goal of harming the State of Israel."

When asked if the suspect's motive was always financial, Peretz confirmed: "Yes, always. The motive is money—easy money. They are motivated by the desire to receive payments as quickly as possible. There’s also the issue of anonymity—getting money from someone they don’t know."

Peretz further explained that the money is often funneled through digital cryptocurrencies: "Exactly. The use of cryptocurrencies allows for greater anonymity and ease of transfer."

The campaign comes amid assessments that Iran will seek to increase its recruitment efforts following Operation Rising Lion. The government is urging citizens to report any suspicious contacts to the police.

The campaign is being implemented by Lapam, the Israeli Government Advertising Agency.