Iran paid Israeli to spy on Netanyahu family, says Shin Bet

An Israeli man was arrested last month for gathering intelligence about the fiancée of Netanyahu’s son. Israeli officials warn citizens not to cooperate with foreign agents.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

An Israeli man who attempted to gather sensitive intelligence about the Netanyahu family on behalf of Iran was arrested by the Shin Bet intelligence agency last month, according to an indictment filed against him that was unsealed Monday.

Dimitri Cohen, a 27-year-old resident of Haifa, is charged with numerous offenses related to spying.

Prosecutors said he carried out various missions for an Iranian agent in exchange for payment, typically receiving $500 in cryptocurrency for each task performed.

One of the most high-profile tasks assigned to Cohen included a surveillance mission in the hometown of Amit Yardeni, the fiancée of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s youngest son, Avner.

Cohen reportedly received details about the location of the Yardenis’ home from his Iranian handler and photographed the house, as well as members of the family.

He was arrested in late May, after about three weeks of contact with the Iranian operative.

While being interrogated by intelligence officers, Cohen claimed that he did not know he was interacting with an Iranian intelligence agent. However, prosecutors noted that Cohen used a separate cellphone for his communication with the agent.

In conversations prior to his arrest, Cohen reportedly admitted to his girlfriend and a close friend that he suspected he was engaging in illegal activity.

“This case is the latest in a series of recent incidents that reflect ongoing attempts…to recruit Israeli citizens for missions intended to harm the security of the State of Israel and its residents,” a senior security official told the Hebrew-language outlet Ma’ariv.

“The Israel Police and the General Security Service continuously warn Israeli citizens and residents against maintaining contact with foreign agents or carrying out tasks on their behalf. Such actions constitute serious legal violations and pose a direct threat to national security. All security and enforcement agencies are committed to bringing to justice anyone involved in this kind of activity.”

In a media statement, the Shin Bet added that “providing information to the enemy — even seemingly insignificant details — aids their efforts against Israel.”