The Shin Bet has made an unusual announcement, accompanied by a serious warning and a request for public assistance. The security service warned on Monday of an Iranian intention to carry out "assassination attacks in Israel," announced that "significant countermeasures" had recently been carried out and demanded that "whenever a doubt or suspicion arises, report it immediately to the security services."
“In recent weeks, the Shin Bet has detected a significant rise in Iran’s efforts to advance assassination attacks against targets in Israel,” the agency announced.
Netanyahu appeals in English directly to Iranian citizens
(Itai Beit On, GPO)
In response, the Shin Bet carried out countermeasures described as "very significant" against the planned attacks, some in very advanced stages of planning and readiness. The Shin Bet added that the details of some of these planned attacks have not yet been released to the public.
Two weeks ago, the Shin Bet revealed Hezbollah's attempt to assassinate former Chief of Staff Moshe (Bogie) Ya'alon in Yarkon Park, and that it had foiled another attack by the terrorist organization against a former security official. Two hours after that announcement by the Shin Bet, thousands of pagers exploded in Lebanon, in what foreign publications reported was the opening salvo to the blows that Hezbollah has suffered.
In its announcement on Monday, the Shin Bet reported that Iran is working to recruit Israeli civilians to harm senior Israeli officials , as was recently revealed in the investigation and arrest of Ashkelon resident Moti Maman, against whom an indictment was recently filed for serious security offenses.
In addition, the Shin Bet said, the Iranians are working even harder to recruit Israeli citizens via the Internet. Iranian officials are trying to locate Israelis on various websites and platforms on the Internet, with an emphasis on websites and channels dealing with cryptocurrency, finance and on-line job searches.
Iranian authorities offer those Israelis contacted on the internet a large payment to carry out various tasks, including hiding money and phones in various places in Israel, distributing flyers and writing graffiti, setting fire to vehicles and physically harming people.
In many cases, at the time of establishing the relationship and at its beginning, the same Iranian officials present themselves as those who seek to "employ" the same Israeli citizen to carry out seemingly innocent tasks for payment. But in a short time the requested "tasks" become dangerous, threatening the security of the state and its citizens.
“The Shin Bet asks the public to pay increased attention and take extra caution in any case where suspicion arises, in accordance with the detailed procedures, especially when the sums involved are large and are not suited to the nature of the requested tasks, or if the requested tasks are unusual,” the agency say. "If such doubt or suspicion arises , must be reported immediately to the security services."
"The Shin Bet works to thwart Iranian activity within Israel and throughout the network, views with great severity any action by Israeli citizens on behalf of Iranian entities, whether minor or serious, and will work to exhaust justice with all the tools at its disposal, with anyone who comes into contact with those entities or acts to carry out tasks for them," the organization clarified.