Two Israelis arrested for sabotage, plotting assassination for Iran

Vladislav Viktorson, 30, allegedly contacted via social media, then recruited his girlfriend and another to carry out vandalism; suspect agreed to kill an unnamed prominent figure

Cars that were set alight near Tel Aviv's Yarkon Park, allegedly at the behest of Iranian agents, in an undated photo. (Israel Police)
Cars that were set alight near Tel Aviv's Yarkon Park, allegedly at the behest of Iranian agents, in an undated photo. (Israel Police)

Two Israelis have been arrested for carrying out a series of acts of sabotage on behalf of Iran and plotting to kill a senior Israeli figure, the Shin Bet and Israel Police announced in a joint statement Monday.

According to the statement, an Israeli citizen identified as Vladislav Viktorson, 30, from Ramat Gan was approached by an Iranian identified as “Mari Hossi” via social media networks last August.

Viktorson then recruited his 18-year-old partner Anna Bernstein and another unnamed Ramat Gan resident. The trio carried out various acts of sabotage and vandalism — including spraying provocative graffiti and putting up posters, setting fire to cars near Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park, and acts of arson in local forests — at the behest of Hossi, who gave them instructions in Hebrew, the statement said.

It noted that Viktorson was aware that Hossi was an “Iranian entity.”

The Iranian agent also asked Viktorson to sabotage ATM machines and communication infrastructure, photograph protesters at political rallies, and recruit homeless people living on the streets for additional activities.

Viktorson and Bernstein filmed some of the sabotage they engaged in and were paid $5,000.

Illustrative: A cybersecurity expert stands in front of a map of Iran as he speaks to journalists about the techniques of Iranian hacking, on September 20, 2017, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (AP/Kamran Jebreili)

Hossi then asked Viktorson to kill a prominent Israeli by throwing a hand grenade into his house, the statement said. Viktorson agreed to do so and tried to purchase weapons including sniper rifles, pistols, and grenades, the statement said.

The target was not named.

Viktorson and Bernstein were indicted on security offenses, the statement said. Prosecutors asked that the suspects be held until the end of proceedings, Channel 13 reported.

Details of the involvement of the third person and their fate were not included in the statement.

“This investigation reveals, once again, the efforts of the Iranian intelligence agencies to recruit and exploit Israeli citizens in order to promote espionage and terrorist activity in Israel,” a senior Shin Bet official said in the agency’s statement.

The official noted that the agency, together with the police, has uncovered a number of attempts by the Iranians to recruit Israeli citizens “in order to carry out various tasks that culminated in harming individuals in Israel.”

Investigations uncovered “many fictitious Iranian [social media] profiles” that were monitored to collect information about them, the official said.

“The exposure of the activity led to the arrest and interrogation of Israeli citizens who were tempted to carry out missions,” he said.

Illustrative: A police car near a crime scene in Jerusalem, March 6, 2024. (Israel Police)

The statement warned the public against Iranian attempts to recruit Israelis over social media to carry out activities for the Islamic Republic.

“Although these tasks may initially be seen as innocent, they have the potential to cause real harm to national security,” the statement cautioned, noting that such appeals can be made in different languages, including English and Hebrew, through social platforms such as Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter.

While some citizens have been drawn in by the money offered, the statement said “a significant number of Israeli citizens” did not respond to the appeals or reported them to the relevant authorities.

The arrests came as Israel’s years-long shadow war with Iran has spiked into open conflict.

The Shin Bet in recent months has announced a series of alleged Iranian plots, in which Iran had tried to trick Israelis online into carrying out missions for Tehran.

Last month, a Jewish Israeli civilian was arrested after he was allegedly recruited by Iran to advance an assassination plot of Israel’s prime minister, defense minister, or the head of the Shin Bet.

In January, authorities uncovered a scheme in which Israelis were allegedly recruited to gather intelligence on high-profile figures.

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