SAEDNEWS: Israeli regime’s authorities have charged a 49-year-old dual Israeli-American citizen, Yaakov Perl, with spying for Iran, alleging he collected sensitive information on key figures in the regime.
Prosecutors have accused Perl of gathering sensitive information on prominent Israeli figures, including Herzi Halevi, former chief of staff of the Israeli army, and Itamar Ben-Gvir, the regime’s internal security minister.
Israeli media report that Perl, arrested earlier this month, lived in Morocco for years and published anti-Zionist writings. Authorities allege that he harbored a strong animosity toward the Israeli government and established contacts with Iranian intelligence agents via the internet.
The arrest was announced just one day after Iran’s Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib revealed that Tehran had obtained millions of confidential documents from the Israeli regime. Khatib noted that some regime employees had cooperated with Iran, motivated by financial gain or opposition to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demonstrating Tehran’s successful intelligence operations amid regional tensions.
Khatib commented: “I say to the so-called corrupt criminal prime minister of the abominable regime, the murderer and scoundrel, instead of solving Iran’s water problem, think about solving the bread problem of a large number of your employees who cooperated with us for the motive of earning money.”
According to reports, Perl participated in anti-Israeli demonstrations and published anti-Zionist articles while in Morocco, drawing regional attention after joining a protest in Rabat in October 2023. He stated in an interview: “True Judaism and true Jews are opposed to Zionism.”
After connecting with an Iranian agent, Perl allegedly attempted to recruit Israelis and foreign workers for espionage purposes. Prosecutors claim he traveled across occupied Palestine, filming Halevi’s residence and collecting security details around Ben-Gvir’s home for his Iranian handlers. The Times of Israel reported that Perl received at least $15,000 in digital currency for these activities.
Perl was arrested on September 4 and now faces multiple charges in Tel Aviv district court, including aiding the enemy during wartime, providing information to compromise internal security, and supplying data that could benefit a foreign adversary.
