This story originally appeared in the JC Israel Briefing. You can sign up to receive the briefing daily here.
Two Israeli Air Force engineers have been charged with spying for Iran in one of the most serious cases to date.
It comes amid an unprecedented wave of arrests of dozens of Israelis on spy charges since October 7, something never before seen in the Jewish state, once known for being immune to outside infiltration.
An indictment filed by military prosecutors yesterday accused the F-15 technicians of providing information on fighter jets and military facilities, including sending a diagram of an aircraft engine, photos of an aviation instructor, and a control tower at the air base, with runways and drones visible in the background.
The pair told investigators that they stopped working for their Iranian handlers when they refused to carry out tasks involving weapons.
When contact began a year ago, Iranian handlers asked one of the accused what monthly salary would satisfy him, to which he replied $1,300, according to Army Radio.
The report also said that, when the Iranians asked one of the soldiers to assassinate Air Force chief Major General Tomer Bar, the man replied he would “check and try”.
They were also allegedly asked to gather intelligence and take photographs of the streets on which Prime Minister Netanyahu, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and former IDF chief of staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi live, as well as information about Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Additionally, they were allegedly asked to provide photos from streets in Tel Aviv, a military base, coordinates of Iron Dome batteries and other air defence systems, and residences of senior pilots.
This story originally appeared in the JC Israel Briefing. You can sign up to receive the briefing daily here.
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