Revealed: Beit Shemesh Hassid Was Israel’s First Spy for Iran
Elimelech Stern became a pivotal figure in exposing this network. His case has sent shockwaves through the security establishment.
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Chief Superintendent Sarit Peretz, head of the security division at the National Unit for International Investigations (YAHBAL) in Lahav 433, has disclosed a sprawling wave of espionage uncovered since the onset of the Swords of Iron War. A 22-year-old ultra-Orthodox man from the Vizhnitz Hassidic community in Beit Shemesh, Elimelech Stern, was identified as the first Israeli arrested for spying on behalf of Iran.
In an extensive interview with *Maariv*, Peretz revealed that Stern’s case, uncovered in July 2024, marked the starting point of a broader espionage surge that has alarmed Israeli security authorities. “It seemed like an isolated incident at first,” Peretz recounted. “No one imagined it was the beginning of a phenomenon.”
Since the war’s outbreak, Peretz disclosed, 25 distinct espionage cases have been investigated, with authorities detaining around 40 Israeli citizens suspected of ties to Iranian intelligence operatives. In many instances, funds were used as a recruitment tool, covertly transferred through cryptocurrencies. Estimates suggest Iran funneled between 800,000 and one million shekels to support espionage activities in Israel.
The suspects were tasked with a range of missions, including:
- Documenting security facilities and military outposts in the north and south.
- Photographing government buildings, police stations, military bases, and even hospitals.
- Spreading anti-Israel graffiti in city centers.
- Attempting to gather intelligence on train movements, helicopter activities, and IDF patrols.
Stern was pictured leaving for house arrest with his infant in his arms, alongside his father and father-in-law,
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