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Euronews
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Tehran recruited Israelis to spy on their homeland
Last week, news broke of the arrest in Israel of two 24-year-old Israelis, Roy Mazrahi and Almoog Attias, on charges of spying for the Islamic Republic of Iran's intelligence services. The two were childhood friends, residents of the town of Nasher near the Israeli port of Haifa, had become addicted to gambling and amassed a lot of debt, the Jerusalem Post reported. According to the report, Mazrahi met an unknown person through an Internet group, who offers him good money in exchange for doing seemingly irrelevant and harmless things. This young Israeli sees the situation as an opportunity to escape his financial crisis. At first, Mazrahi was asked to photograph the areas around his home and then document the sales sign of a car dealership. His next assignment was to burn a note containing a message against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As the missions went on, police said, they found more dangerous aspects, and Mazrahi realised at some point that his employers were Iranian. On another mission, he moved a briefcase, which he thought contained a bomb, from place to place. Then came the main mission. He bought CCTV cameras and rented a room in a hotel in Tel Aviv, along with Almoog Attias, who had been attracted by the same unidentified person. The two then went to the village of Kfar Ahim, the residence of Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz in the south of the country. Their mission was to install the camera facing the entrance road to Mr. Katz's home, which was not successful due to the presence of security forces. Israeli defence officials told the court that the CCTV work was part of a larger operation to assassinate Katz. However, although Roy Mazrahi and Almog Attias are the latest reported case of such espionage operations, several other cases had already been recorded. In fact, almost every few weeks, there is a new report of Israeli citizens being recruited as spies by Iranian intelligence forces. According to a report by Israel's Internal Security Agency (SHINBET), espionage cases in Israel will increase by about 400 percent in 2024 compared to the previous year. The detention of Roy Mazrahi and Almoog Attias was the 20th case linked to espionage for Iran's intelligence services in Israel in the past year, and Tehran appears to be seizing the opportunity of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza in their efforts to recruite Israeli citizens, said Maor Goren, head of the security department of the Israeli police's National Crime Combating Unit (Lahav 433). Spying has increased in the country. Although the stories of the cases vary, there are clear patterns in all of them, the Jerusalem Post reported. The targetted persons are all facing financial difficulties and looking for a shortcut way to pay off their debts. Many of these people are immigrants who have recently arrived in Israel and have less national and patriotic belonging than older Israelis. Yossi Mellman, an expert on espionage affairs and author of the book 'Spies Against Armageddon,' said, 'Most of the people being recruited are worthless and from the fringes of Israeli communities. But the worrying thing is that a country that is constantly calling for the destruction of Israel has been able to infiltrate its society.' He said of the reason for the success of the Islamic Republic of Iran: 'This is linked to the social collapse of Israel in recent years. The society has lost its sense of solidarity and cohesion. Even the government is only concerned with its own survival. People say to themselves that now that government officials are working for Qatar, why not work for Iran?' Maor Goren stressed, however, that many of the people who contact Iranian agents cut off contact after a while, and then brief the police. The method of recruiting forces by the intelligence services of the Islamic Republic of Iran is also relatively simple and does not require complex planning or macro-investment. Iranian agents mostly carry out the recruitment process through social networks and with simple messages. According to the report, Iranian agents typically target specific groups such as fundamentalist orthodox Jews opposed to Zionism, new immigrants, former criminals, and ordinary citizens mired in financial hardship. Some of those detained were immigrants from former Soviet states, and this may have led to a general distrust of certain strata of society. In fact, social media has given Iranian agents access to a part of Israeli society that was previously unavailable or unknown to them. According to the Jerusalem Post, the Islamic Republic of Iran's intelligence services have contacted Israelis via WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram, LinkedIn, Instagram and X, promising large sums in exchange for doing simple things such as photographing specific locations or people or writing graffiti. They have also occasionally published private detective search ads to gather intelligence from Israeli officials. Iranian agents have also launched phishing campaigns to collect information from Israeli citizens in the form of surveys. In none of the recruitment methods has there been a sign of Iran at first, and most intrigued Israelis have said they did not know at first that they were working for Tehran. Israel's Internal Security Agency (SHINBET) has had a successful performance in deterring the actions of Iranian agents, and so far it appears that no serious damage has been done to Israel's security. However, spying operations continue and many may still have not been identified. Some critics of Israel's legal system believe that the punishment for the perpetrators attracted is too light, and that a few years in prison is not a deterrent for people who have engaged in such acts in exchange for receiving sums of money. Also, the exposure and detention of these individuals has no particular consequences for Tehran. Iranian agents are only waiting for the next victim to respond to their message. In another case, Moshe Attias, an 18-year-old from Yabneh in central Israel, received such a message: 'Thank you for contacting Iranian intelligence. Message the user account below to speak to our experts on Telegram.' Mr. Attias had received about $1,800 in his digital wallet for documentation from the hospital in Maier, where Naftali Bennett, the former Israeli prime minister, was hospitalized. He identified himself as a relative of Mr Bennett and gave information, including details of the security measures adopted at the site, to Iranian agents. Yossi Mellman commented: 'Getting this close to Mr Bennett is an achievement for the Iranian agents and it shows that they are still continuing their actions. But their influence in Israel is still negligible compared to Israel's influence in Iran.' In August last year, Israeli police detained Moti Maman, a 73-year-old Israeli citizen on suspicion of plotting to assassinate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to the indictment, he travelled secretly to Iran twice to meet with Iranian relations and requested $1 million in advance payments in Iran to carry out the assassination. 'Moti Maman had told his contacts that he had no access to high-level officials and had offered to target the mayor of Aka or Nahariya,' Mellman said. He was sentenced to ten years in prison for espionage and plotting assassinations last month. Last year, an Iranian intelligence network focusing only on Jewish immigrants from the Caucasus region managed to attract a couple through an Israeli citizen from Azerbaijan. According to the indictment, the couple received $600 a day for gathering information about potential targets, including surveillance of Mossad's main headquarters. A seven-member network dubbed the 'Haifa Cell' is also accused of imaging dozens of military bases, Iron Dome systems and other strategic targets across Israel in exchange for $500 to $1,200 per mission. According to the indictment, one of their surveillance targets was Navatim Air Base, which was later targeted by an Islamic Republic of Iran missile attack. Not everyone attracted by Iranian agents, of course, is Jewish. Last October, seven Palestinians living in East Jerusalem were detained on suspicion of planning to assassinate a nuclear scientist and the mayor of one of Israel's major cities. To date, Iran's intelligence efforts in Israel do not appear to have achieved much success. Because no senior Israeli official has been assassinated, and even if on occasion live and simultaneous information has been passed to Tehran, this information appears to have been superficial and did not lead to any specific action. However, as Yossi Mellman warns: 'We are ignorant of what we don't know, and the most worrying thing is that some Israelis are willing to betray their homeland for a fistful of dollars.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Israel approves 22 West Bank settlements amid war with Hamas, pressure for Palestinian state
Legal Affairs correspondent Sarah Ben-Nun explains the context of settlement approval, touching on expansion during the Israel-Hamas War, IDF operations in the West Bank, and more. The government approved on Thursday the establishment of 22 new settlements in the West Bank, as part of a joint initiative by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. The Jerusalem Post Legal Affairs correspondent Sarah Ben-Nun explains the context and implications of the decision, touching on settlement expansion during the Israel-Hamas War, IDF operations in the northern West Bank, and the upcoming French and Saudi summit on Palestinian statehood.
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Mike Pence Accuses Donald Trump of Ignoring Constitution
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Former Vice President Mike Pence has accused President Donald Trump of supplanting Congress' constitutional authority over trade and commerce, following a federal court ruling that sought to void the majority of his tariffs. "The Constitution gives Congress the power to levy taxes and tariffs," Pence wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "Article 1, Section 8 provides that the Congress 'shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises.'" "The president has no authority in the Constitution to unilaterally impose tariffs without an act of Congress," he added. Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment outside regular hours. Why It Matters The potential economic effects of Trump's tariffs, such as high consumer prices on foreign goods and increased overheads for import-reliant businesses, have drawn scrutiny from Democrats and members of the president's own party. Trump has announced numerous tariffs since returning to office in January, including a 10 percent "baseline" tariff on almost all U.S. imports, arguing that the duties were necessary to fix trade imbalances and revive American manufacturing. However, critics have questioned the constitutionality of the president's trade policies, saying tariffs are fundamentally a legislative power granted to Congress and that their unilateral imposition represents an example of executive overreach. What To Know "To restore the power to levy Tariff's back to the American people, Congress should take immediate steps to reclaim their Constitutional authority On Tariffs," Pence wrote on Thursday. The former vice president has made similar arguments in the past. In April, he told attendees at a Grove City College event, "Wherever you come down on the risks or merits associated with tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration, the president has no authority in the Constitution to unilaterally impose tariffs without an act of Congress," the National Review reported. Pence has also criticized the tariffs on economic grounds, arguing that resultant price increases on foreign-made goods—specifically dolls—run counter to the "American dream." Former Vice President Mike Pence at the Jerusalem Post's New York conference on June 3, 2024. Former Vice President Mike Pence at the Jerusalem Post's New York conference on June 3, Pence highlighted on Thursday, Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution establishes the structure and powers of the legislative branch and grants Congress authority over taxes and duties. However, Congress has ceded certain tariff powers to the presidency over the years, primarily through Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962; Sections 122, 201 and 301 of the Trade Act of 1974; Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930; and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977. Wednesday's ruling from the U.S. Court of International Trade concerned Trump's invocation of the latter. The Manhattan federal court argued that neither the fentanyl crisis—which Trump used to justify tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico—nor the unfair trading relationships that his reciprocal tariffs were intended to fix constituted sufficient emergencies to override Congress' constitutional powers. "Because of the Constitution's express allocation of the tariff power to Congress … we do not read IEEPA to delegate an unbounded tariff authority to the President," the three-judge panel wrote in its decision. "We instead read IEEPA's provisions to impose meaningful limits on any such authority it confers." The administration called the decision a "judicial coup" and swiftly filed an appeal with the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, which has now paused the lower court's ruling, allowing the tariffs to remain in effect pending the outcome of the appeal. What People Are Saying President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday: "The horrific decision stated that I would have to get the approval of Congress for these Tariffs. In other words, hundreds of politicians would sit around D.C. for weeks, and even months, trying to come to a conclusion as to what to charge other Countries that are treating us unfairly. If allowed to stand, this would completely destroy Presidential Power—The Presidency would never be the same! … The President of the United States must be allowed to protect America against those that are doing it Economic and Financial harm." Senator John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana, told CNN: "Under the Constitution, Congress has tariff authority. We gave—for better or worse, Congress gave some of that authority to the presidency. The president has been exercising that authority. The issue before the courts—and it's appropriate for them to decide—is whether he has exceeded that authority. I don't think he has, but that's up to the courts to tell us. In the meantime, nothing's going to change. These [trade] talks are not going to stop, nor should they." Political economist Veronique de Rugy said in comments shared with Newsweek: "The president's power is limited, even in emergencies. Declaring a trade deficit isn't an emergency; it's economics 101. Trump's tariffs weren't just economically destructive, they were legally baseless. Courts rightly refused to hand over unlimited power to a single person. This ruling drew from conservative judicial doctrines like nondelegation and major questions, these philosophies embraced by Trump's own judicial nominees. The ruling restores constitutional order by reminding everyone, including Trump, that tariff power belongs to Congress, not to the president's whims." What Happens Next The appeals court's decision means Trump's tariffs remain in place while the case is considered. It has ordered the plaintiffs to respond by June 5 and given the government until June 9 to issue a reply. White House adviser Peter Navarro has said the administration is prepared to take the appeal to the Supreme Court if necessary. He told reporters on Thursday, "Even if we lose, we will do it another way."
NDTV
2 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Israel Stops Training Women Combat Soldiers Over 'Health Risks'
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has ended a pilot programme under which female soldiers due to health and fitness concerns. The trained women were to serve in "combat mobility units" that deliver equipment and supplies to infantry forces in enemy territory and recover wounded soldiers, but IDF Chief of Staff Lt-Gen Eyal Zamir decided to pull the plug on Thursday (May 29), according to a report in the Jerusalem Post. As per IDF, though the professional performance of females undergoing the combat course was strong and equal to their male counterparts, their "physical and combat fitness levels fell short of the standards required for the role". IDF added that medical data indicated potential health risks for the women if they continued the current training, particularly since its intensity was due to increase. The new pilot programme for female infantry recruits will start next year after the cancellation of the current six-month scheme. Meanwhile, women who had enrolled in the course would be offered other combat opportunities in the military if they wished to continue, or they could switch to office duties if they preferred a change. Military service in the IDF is mandatory for both sexes, barring some exceptions. Women fighters have successfully worked in several special units such as Oketz, which works with dogs, the Yahalom combat engineers, and the 669 rescue unit. Israel-Hamas war Ever since Hamas-led terrorists rampaged through southern Israeli communities and killed around 1,200 people on October 7, 2023, Tel Aviv has launched an all-out campaign to avenge the losses. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the death of Hamas' Gaza chief, Muhammad Sinwar. Muhammad Sinwar was the brother of former Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, who was killed in a clash with the Israeli military in October 2024. Yahya Sinwar had masterminded the October 7 terrorist attacks.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
A 1,600-Year-Old Byzantine Mosaic Was Just Unveiled at a Monastery in Israel
The Be'er Shema Mosaic is now open to the public for the first time at the Merhavim Regional Council complex in northwestern Negev, Israel, reported the Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. The 1,600-year-old mosaic intricately details scenes of hunting, exotic animals, mythological figures, fruit, and daily life within 55 medallions. Archaeologists have theorized that it was created by a master craftsman due to the small size of the stones, the variety of color, and incorporation of glass and pottery. More from Robb Report Marvel Star Chris Evans Is Asking $7 Million for His Hollywood Hills Home BMW's High-Performance M5 Station Wagon Is More Popular Than Its Sedan in the U.S. A Stately French Normandy Tudor Home in Westchester County Lists for $6.5 Million Though the mosaic dates back to the Byzantine period (324–638 CE), it was unearthed during a 1990 excavation of agricultural areas nearby Kibbutz Urim, situated in the Roman and Byzantine administrative center and fortified village Horbat Be'er Shema. The town was known for its location along an ancient trade route connecting the desert region to Gaza, which was a Mediterranean port city at the time. The mosaic was discovered within a monastery. A large wine press and warehouses filled with jars were also found, indicating that the monastic order may have made a living producing and selling wine. Further excavations were completed under Dan Gazit and Shayka Lander from the Israel Antiquities Authority, before the piece was covered for preservation. 'Over the years, the mosaic floor's state of preservation has deteriorated. Against this background, it was rediscovered, treated and strengthened, and moved from its original location to the council compound in Merhavim,' Ami Shahar, head of the Conservation Department at the Israel Antiquities Authority, said in a statement. 'Now, it is protected from agricultural and development work, and is finally being displayed to the public.' On Saturday, the inaugural ceremony featured local students, as well as the Minister of Heritage MK Amichai Eliyahu and the head of the Merhavim Regional Council Shai Hajj. It has been made accessible as part of the 'Antiquities Near Home' project, co-organized by the Ministry of Heritage and the Israel Antiquities Authority. Best of Robb Report The 10 Priciest Neighborhoods in America (And How They Got to Be That Way) In Pictures: Most Expensive Properties Click here to read the full article.
