Israeli spy chief warns of ‘deep’ Iranian infiltration; says Netanyahu responsible for regime’s woes

The head of the Israeli regime’s so-called internal spy agency has considered the Israeli prime minister to be behind the regime’s serious predicaments, including mismanagement leading to, what he described as, Iran’s “deep” infiltration into Israeli intelligence affairs.

"Israel is going through an especially difficult and complex period,” Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar wrote in a message addressed to the regime on Thursday.

“The Iranian hand is deep inside Israel,” he added, citing one of the severe adversities that were faced by Tel Aviv.

The turmoil that Bar said was besetting the regime comes against a backdrop of reports of increasing espionage cases within the occupied Palestinian territories.

In January, Shin Bet alleged that cases of espionage for Iran that were identified by the service had witnessed a “400-percent increase” in 2024 compared to the previous year.

Israel’s Shin Bet claims spying for Iran up 400% in 2024

Israel

It claimed it had indicted 27 illegal settlers as part of its pursuance of the cases. The agency also alleged that it had busted 13 “major espionage operations” targeting the regime.

In October last year, the agency and the regime’s police alleged they had arrested two settlers east of the Israeli commercial hub of Tel Aviv on charges of espionage for Iran.

Following Shin Bet’s January report on the alleged spying cases, it was also reported that two Israeli army reservists, Yuri Eliasfov and Georgi Andreyev, had been arrested on charges of spying for Iran, reportedly including sharing classified information about the regime’s Iron Dome missile system.

2 Israeli reservists detained on suspicion of ‘spying for Iran’

The Israeli regime’s so-called security services have arrested two reservist soldiers on suspicion of espionage for Iran in return for financial gain.

Still cataloging the litany of the adversities troubling Tel Aviv, Bar reminded that as many as 59 of the Zionists, who were ensnared by Palestinian fighters in the occupied territories in October 2023 and taken to the Gaza Strip, remained in the Palestinian territory.

The Gaza-based Palestinian resistance movement Hamas “has not yet been defeated,” he added amid the regime’s stated goal of “destroying” the group as part of its ongoing war of genocide against the Palestinian territory.

“We are in the midst of a multi-front war,” the spy chief also noted, pointing to the regime’s having launched escalated deadly aggression against the occupied West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria as well as Gaza.

Bar critiqued Netanyahu for impeding investigations into the regime’s intelligence failures, including the loopholes that were seized upon by Palestinian resistance movements on October 7, 2023 to stage a historic operation against the occupied territories, during which they ensnared the captives after venturing deep inside the territories and encircling strategic Israeli bases.

Former Israeli army chief 'praises' Hamas for surprise Oct. 7 operation

Herzi Halevi has already accepted responsibility for the failure of the Israeli military in Gaza.

His remarks, observers say, suggested that the Israeli premier was trying to prevent revelation of the sheer shortcomings during his drawn-out tenure as a means of protecting his ongoing incumbency.

The spy chief’s letter came in response to Netanyahu's attempts to dismiss him, a move widely criticized among Israeli officials as politically motivated.

Bar contended that his removal was intended to obstruct a comprehensive inquiry into the events of October 7, a probe that could jeopardize Netanyahu’s further political longevity.

He warned that actions such as his dismissal compromised Shin Bet's ability to operate “impartially” and uncover the truth behind such security lapses.

The Shin Bet chief further asserted that Netanyahu's interference had hampered negotiations aimed at securing the release of the remaining Zionist captives.

"My removal has harmed negotiations and not contributed at all to the release of the captives. The real intention was to conduct negotiations without actually reaching a deal” aimed at securing their release, he wrote.

The official suggested that the prime minister's obstructionist actions were driven by personal interests rather than the regime’s security concerns.

Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has demanded that Netanyahu clarify the legal basis for Bar's dismissal, emphasizing the need to prioritize the regime and its illegal settlers’ interest over personal preferences.

Various Israeli opposition politicians and groups have condemned the move as an assault on the regime’s laws, reflecting broader conflicts within Tel Aviv's institutions.

Bar, himself, dismissed the campaign aimed at his removal as "a sham procedure with a predetermined outcome and baseless allegations that serve only as a cover for dubious and illegitimate motives…”

“This aims to hinder the Shin Bet's ability to perform its duties impartially according to the law, rather than serving personal interests, and to prevent the revelation of the truth, whether regarding the events leading up to October 7 or the serious cases currently under Shin Bet investigation." 

The message came at a time when the regime’s settlers’ confidence in Tel Aviv’s pursuance of their interests has been radically eroded.

Protests have erupted, with demonstrators condemning Netanyahu for using military aggression in Gaza as a diversion from his political challenges, including the ongoing corruption cases facing the premier.

Israeli critics argue that the prime minister is leveraging external threats to suppress dissent and maintain his grip on power at a time when over 60 percent of the settlers have called for his exit from politics.

A new poll has also exposed a record-high 47-percent distrust in the Israeli military.

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