East Jerusalem Man Arrested for Iranian-Linked Terror Plot

Israeli authorities arrested a Palestinian man in his 30s from East Jerusalem’s Issawiya neighborhood on suspicion of collaborating with Iranian intelligence to carry out espionage and terrorist activities within Israel. The suspect was allegedly recruited by Iranian operatives who tasked him with various missions, including gathering intelligence on sensitive sites such as the Western Wall and Mahane Yehuda Market, hanging signs against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, burning IDF uniforms, and planning a terror attack targeting Jewish civilians in central Israel. He was also instructed to set fire to a forest and smuggle weapons into the West Bank, and attempted to recruit family members, including his mother, to assist in these operations in exchange for financial compensation. During a joint operation by Shin Bet and Jerusalem District Police, the suspect was apprehended before executing the more serious plots, with police seizing cash, spray paint, airsoft guns, and suspected drugs from his home. This case is part of a broader pattern of Iranian attempts to recruit Israeli citizens for espionage and sabotage, underscoring ongoing national security threats. Prosecutors have filed charges against the suspect, who remains in detention as investigations continue.