The Israeli newspaper Yisrael Hayom reported, citing a security source, that Iran has intensified its attempts to recruit Israeli teenagers and youth through digital channels. The source warned that the phenomenon has grown significantly, affecting various social groups, and that the methods used rely on what he described as “digital bribery”, offering tempting financial rewards aimed at minors and unsupervised internet users.
According to the source, out of roughly thirty espionage cases handled in the past two years, only two involved minors. However, he stressed that Iranian recruiters possess a strong capacity to lure underage individuals.
This warning follows the indictment of Rafael Roofini, a 21 year old Israeli who had communicated with an Iranian handler during his military service and carried out several missions for him in exchange for over ten thousand shekels.
Roofini was reportedly recruited via the Telegram application. Initially, he received small payments, then took photos of public sites, hid objects in a park, checked a buried pistol, and later provided information about the base where he served.
The newspaper noted that Iranian operatives manage Telegram bots inside Israeli channels, publishing job offers, cryptocurrency trading opportunities, and dating content, using casual Hebrew expressions such as “my brother”, while promising “easy money”.
One such bot, named VIP Employment, was highlighted for offering high salaries in exchange for “working with Iran”, and it reportedly received more than one hundred submissions.
The head of the National Student Council warned that there is a lack of sufficient educational discourse to raise awareness among students about the dangers of espionage. He added that temptations are growing, especially with the rise of digital platforms unfamiliar to many adults, such as Roblox, which allows unlimited communication that may be exploited for extortion. He also pointed to the increasing trend of gambling among teenagers, including poker and digital betting, which often begins with small amounts but leads some to borrow money, increasing the likelihood of cooperating with Iranian agents in exchange for payment.
According to the report, recruitment attempts typically start innocently, with tasks such as photographing a school gate or military base, or writing slogans on walls. They then escalate to burning property or conducting field surveillance on Israeli targets. In one case, a minor hid money, distributed incitement stickers, and added an Iranian handler to WhatsApp groups.
The newspaper added that espionage penalties in the occupation state are severe, reaching up to fifteen years or even life imprisonment, even for mere contact with a foreign agent. Dror Cohen stated that the state must “mobilise all its resources” to confront this phenomenon.
The report also questioned the role of the education system. Yigal Slovik, CEO of the Contractors Union and former Director General of the Ministry of Education, said that schools should serve as the “most important social and moral line of defence”, strengthening belonging, identity, and responsibility while providing a safe environment that enables students to report suspicious behaviour.
For its part, the Ministry of Education in the occupation government stated that promoting safe online conduct and preventing dangerous digital behaviour is considered a central goal within its policies.
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