Israel intensifies pressure against Iranian recruitment of spies among young Israelis

BeirutIsraeli authorities have been warning for weeks about a phenomenon that, although not new, has taken on an unexpected dimension: the recruitment of Israeli citizens, including teenagers, by networks linked to Iran. Shin Bet, the internal security agency, acknowledges that contacts have multiplied since the end of summer and that the target is no longer individuals with access to strategic information, but rather young people with no political background who agree to collaborate in exchange for small sums of money.

The pattern is similar in most cases. Anonymous messages via Telegram, profiles presenting themselves as employers or security enthusiasts, offers of $200 or $300 for seemingly harmless tasks: photographing facilities, recording police movements, or locating defense systems. For many of these minors, according to police sources, the motivation is financial, and the political dimension is practically nonexistent. One recent case, that of a 13-year-old boy who went so far as to photograph an air defense battery, has forced the government to admit that the phenomenon is now affecting school environments.

The Shin Bet leadership itself has asked mayors and school principals to cooperate in prevention campaigns. In several schools, officials detected groups of students who admitted to receiving similar messages. According to officials consulted by the Israeli press, "dozens, perhaps hundreds" of citizens have been contacted, although only a portion agreed to follow the instructions.

Iran is combining mass messaging with the exploitation of social vulnerabilities within Israel. Investigators say recruiters are targeting people without technical training, taking advantage of the fact that many young people live in poverty and use social media without supervision. Meanwhile, other cases are more serious, involving 18- to 20-year-olds allegedly involved in sabotage plots or assassination attempts against Israeli citizens. These accusations are still under investigation and raise questions about the true extent of these networks.

Minor Offense or Strategic Threat?

Israeli intelligence believes that Iran has been trying for months to expand its reach in the covert war the two countries are waging, combining cyberattacks, influence operations, and remote recruitment. Payment in cryptocurrency and the promise of anonymity facilitate the connection between recruiters and young Israelis who, in many cases, are unaware of the gravity of their actions.

The increase in arrests has coincided with a domestic climate in which the line between petty crime and strategic threat is blurring. The police admit that some of those accused only committed acts of vandalism, such as graffiti at the request of their recruiters, or transmitted irrelevant information. However, the Iranian intention appears to be testing the limits and identifying weaknesses. Easy access to unsupervised teenagers reveals deep cracks, overburdened families, under-resourced schools, and an environment marked by years of economic crisis, polarization, and distrust of the state.

While the arrests continue, the government insists that the situation is under control and speaks of a "contained threat." But the phenomenon opens up an uncomfortable debate: how to manage cases in which our own citizens, sometimes without understanding the consequences, end up becoming part of a foreign spy network. Furthermore, military and civilian justice systems do not treat them equally, which fuels doubts about whether the sentences for minors or young people from low-income backgrounds are truly proportionate.

More spies without a big budget

The social dimension of this phenomenon also calls into question the Israeli political class. Most of those recruited don't fit the classic image of a spy: they aren't members of any group, they lack access to sensitive information, and they aren't radicalized. They are teenagers who combine defiance, curiosity, and a lack of awareness of the risks. For several analysts, this is precisely why they are so useful to Iran, which can expand its network without investing significant resources.

In a country that boasts one of the most advanced cybersecurity systems in the world And facing constant challenges in protecting its population from external threats, the recruitment of minors adds an uncomfortable dimension. It exposes shortcomings in digital education, in the monitoring of technology use, and in the ability of families and schools to detect these risks.

Israel has launched a campaign against citizens suspected of spying for Iran, including young people and students. Authorities say they will intensify the pressure with more arrests, more investigations, and prevention campaigns. But the real challenge lies not in the number of recruits, but in the fact that, despite their advanced technology, young people remain vulnerable to a war that is also being fought in the digital sphere.