Israeli indicted in Iranian espionage plot targeting former PM Naftali Bennett

Jerusalem Post ^ | January 5, 2026 | Sarah Ben-Nun

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State prosecutors on Monday filed an indictment against a Rishon Lezion resident accused of carrying out surveillance missions on behalf of a foreign agent, including filming the street outside the home of former prime minister Naftali Bennett, in what authorities described as another attempt by Iranian intelligence to collect information on senior Israeli figures.

The indictment, filed with the Central District Court in Lod, charges Lekachao Demsash, 31, with contact with a foreign agent, an offense that carries a potential prison sentence. Prosecutors have also requested that he be held in custody until the conclusion of legal proceedings, citing the gravity of the allegations and the security risks involved.

Police said the case forms part of a broader pattern of Iranian efforts to recruit Israelis for intelligence-gathering missions, often beginning with seemingly innocuous tasks in exchange for payment. Investigators assess that the surveillance near Bennett’s residence was intended to support potential future harm.

This marks at least the third publicly reported instance in which individuals allegedly operating under Iranian direction were identified while conducting surveillance near Bennett’s home. Vadim Kupriyanov, 40-years-old and also from Rishon Lezion, was arrested just a week-and-a-half ago (December 25) for similar surveillance of Bennett’s home.