From the Liveblog of
Friday, September 26, 2025
Charges filed against US-Israeli citizen suspected of spying on public figures for Iran
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State prosecutors file charges against dual American-Israeli citizen Yaakov Perl, a Hasidic man who allegedly spied on Iran’s behalf on several public figures including ex-IDF chief Herzi Halevi and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
The defendant is a member of the Satmar Hasidic movement and harbors a deep antipathy towards the State of Israel, which drove him to reach out to Iranian intelligence operatives online, prosecutors say.
Perl had been living in Morocco for several years, where he took part in protests against Israel and published articles condemning Zionism.
He appears to have garnered attention in the Arab world shortly after October 7 during an anti-Israel protest in Morocco’s capital Rabat, where he declared to an interviewer that “the real Judaism and the real Jews are against Zionism.”
After making contact with the agent, Perl attempted several times to recruit Israelis and foreign workers to spy on his behalf, but to no success. In July of this year, he moved to Israel himself for espionage purposes and settled down in Beit Shemesh.
According to prosecutors, Perl traveled across the country to carry out missions for his Iranian operator, filming Halevi’s home and gathering intelligence on the security arrangements around Ben Gvir’s residence.
The defendant went so far as to consider renting an apartment near the homes of both Halevi and Ben Gvir in order to spy on them for an extended period of time.
He also collected information on an organization that campaigns for Jewish prayer rights on the Temple Mount, which Ben Gvir and his wife are supposedly members of.
Perl declined to go up to the Temple Mount when asked to do so by his operator, citing the commonly held belief among Haredim that Jews are prohibited from ascending to the holy site.
Like most other Israeli agents recruited by Iranian operators, Perl was compensated in cryptocurrency for the missions he carried out on Tehran’s behalf and made at least $15,000.
He was arrested on September 4 and is charged in the Tel Aviv District Court with the offenses of aiding the enemy during wartime, providing intelligence to the enemy with the intent of harming national security and providing intelligence to the enemy that could benefit them.
The Times of Israel Community.