An Israeli man has been arrested for spying on behalf of “foreign elements” in ways that resemble previous espionage efforts by Iran.
The Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency said an indictment against Alexander Granovsky, 29, is to be filed in the next several days.
The Petach Tikvah resident was arrested after having been in contact with foreign “terror elements” since November and having carried out “a large number of different security tasks for them” – for which he was allegedly paid handsomely.
Granovsky allegedly knew at the time that the missions had the “potential to harm national security” but carried them out regardless.
According to a statement by the Shin Bet and Israel Police, Granovsky set fire to eight vehicles across Israel and spray-painted the message “Children of Ruhollah” – a reference to the first supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khameini – on one of the vehicles.
In addition, Granovsky allegedly snapped and sent photos to his handlers of the entrance to the neighborhood in which former Defense Minister MK Benny Gantz lives. The suspect also allegedly photographed a state facility in central Israel, sent his handlers information about a possible Israeli espionage recruit, and purchased military fatigues for a video in which they were to be burned, among other activities.
Granovsky is being held on suspicion of “committing security offenses after he was suspected of being involved in several vehicle arsons on behalf of foreign elements,” the Shin Bet and Israel Police added in their joint statement.
Earlier this month, 23-year-old Erdler Israel Amoyal, a resident of Jerusalem, was arrested for allegedly planning a terror attack and carrying out other missions on behalf of Iran.
Last month, 33-year-old Artyom Zolotarev was arrested on suspicion of committing security offenses – setting fire to vehicles in Haifa and scrawling anti-government and pro-Iran graffiti in northern Israel – as well as having contact with Iranian intelligence officials.
There were three Iranian-connected espionage incidents in October and an incident in September involving seven Jewish Israelis acting for Iran.
Granovsky’s arrest marks the 13th such Iranian-related espionage incident uncovered by Israeli security personnel this year.
