Israel Enlists Rabbis to Thwart Iranian Spy Recruitment, Warning of Jail and Violence
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 18
Israel Enlists Rabbis to Thwart Iranian Spy Recruitment, Warning of Jail and Violence
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 18
Summary
Rabbi Yigal Cohen, a member of Israel’s chief rabbinical council, issued a widely shared video warning followers not to cooperate with Iranian agents recruiting inside Israel.
Israeli security officials asked him to deliver the message as part of a broader counter-recruitment campaign against online approaches tied to spying, sabotage and possible killings.
Cohen said recruiters were urging Israelis to photograph sites, obtain guns and stash them at designated locations, telling listeners any contact would end in prison and ruined lives.
The outreach expands Israel’s long-running public warnings that Iranian intelligence is seeking new ways to build informer and operative networks inside the country.