From the Liveblog of
Thursday, March 26, 2026
Court: IDF reservist accused of using classified info to bet on Polymarket is Air Force major
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A reservist suspected of using classified information to place bets on the Polymarket prediction site served as a major in the Israeli Air Force, a Tel Aviv Court reveals.
The defendant was indicted alongside his alleged accomplice last month on severe security offenses, as well as bribery and obstruction of justice, after they allegedly bet on the timing of Israel’s opening strikes that kicked off the 12-day war with Iran last June.
The case was subject to a court-issued gag order, which was partially lifted this evening following a petition from several Hebrew-language outlets. The details of the case were cleared for publication, but the defendants’ names are still under wraps.
According to the indictment, the soldier was briefed on the June operation in a confidential meeting a day before it was carried out, then notified his civilian accomplice about the offensive. When Israeli warplanes were on their way to attack Iran, the reservist let the civilian know, and the latter placed a bet on the war’s timing.
The pair allegedly made $162,663 after winning the bet, which they agreed to split evenly between themselves.
The suspects continued to place bets on the website this year until they were finally arrested and indicted last month.
In September 2025, the reservist allegedly passed his civilian friend information about a planned attack in Yemen, which won the pair thousands of dollars.
The reservist and civilian again bet in early January, attempting to predict the timing of the next round of fighting with Iran, the Kan public broadcaster reports, but canceled the bet after the civilian saw posts about his account on social media.
Out of apparent fear of being caught, the civilian altered his profile and then deleted the WhatsApp messages between him and the reservist, according to the report.
Prosecutors filed an indictment against the pair in the Tel Aviv District Court last month and sought to keep them in custody until the end of legal proceedings.
The Times of Israel Community.