An indictment was filed on Friday in the Tel Aviv District Court against Yaakov Perl, 49, an Israeli-American who allegedly carried out various actions on behalf of Iranian agents with the intent to harm the State of Israel.
According to the indictment, Perl documented the residence of former IDF chief of staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, and detailed the security arrangements at the home of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Perl lived in Morocco for several years and was affiliated with the Satmar Hassidic sect, who believe that the existence of the State of Israel contradicts religious principles and constitutes a “desecration of God’s name.”
Because of his belief, he connected with Iranian agents through Telegram and was eventually recruited by an Iranian foreign agent who promised him a monthly payment of thousands of dollars and maintained continuous contact with him.
While in touch with the agent, Perl attempted to recruit additional individuals to act on behalf of Iran within Israel.
When he failed to recruit others, he renewed his Israeli passport and entered the country to carry out tasks himself, including documenting Halevi’s residence and the security arrangements around Ben-Gvir’s house. Perl received at least $15,000 in exchange for the information he gathered.
In the detention request filed concurrently, an attorney emphasized that Perl was the one who initiated contact with the Iranians, and when he was not initially recruited, he continued to press them to enlist him.
Perl initiated contact, showed pride in working with Iran
Additionally, evidence from the investigation showed that Perl not only acted according to Iranian instructions but also advised them on how to best carry out the tasks assigned to him.
He expressed pride in his actions and showed no intention of halting them. Perl even told one of the investigators that he would continue attempting to recruit people to help him harm Israeli security, even from prison.
Perl was charged with assisting the enemy during wartime, providing information to the enemy with the intent to harm national security, and transmitting information to the enemy that could benefit them.