Petah Tikva man charged with spying for Iran

 

Daniel Kitov, 26, charged with contacting foreign agent and receiving payment for tasks, including spraying graffiti and photographing military sites and the Shin Bet director's home for money

The Shin Bet and Israel Police reported Thursday that an indictment was filed against Daniel Kitov, 26, from Petah Tikva, for spying and carrying out tasks on behalf of Iran.

According to the statement, Kitov was instructed to photograph the home of Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar and suggested photographing the home of National Unity party leader Benny Gantz.

The statement noted that Kitov was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of carrying out various tasks on behalf of a hostile foreign entity.

A Shin Bet investigation, conducted alongside the Tel Aviv District Police’s Central Unit, found that Kitov had been in contact with an Iranian operative for months, carrying out dozens of acts of graffiti vandalism in Petah Tikva and Rosh Ha’ayin in exchange for payment.

In one of the messages Kitov received, he was instructed: "Make it big, nice, good, and high quality." Another message read: "We have tasks like burning Netanyahu’s picture and filming it." Kitov responded, "I can only do graffiti. What should I write? And how much do you pay?" The agent replied: "Graffiti—$40. Posting flyers—$2 per flyer. Burning Netanyahu’s picture—$50. You need to write ‘Bibi is a dictator.’"

The investigation found that Kitov was instructed to photograph the home of Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar and several military bases. He was also asked if he knew any Israeli Air Force pilots. While he did not complete these tasks, he independently offered to photograph the home of MK Gantz, though that, too, was never carried out.

Authorities determined that Kitov was aware he had been in contact with an Iranian handler, partly based on media reports and his own online searches on the topic. The indictment, filed in the Lod District Court, charges him with contact with a foreign agent.

The graffiti Kitov sprayed included the phrases "Conquerors of Khaybar" and "Children of Ruhollah." The term "Ruhollah" is commonly associated with religious and nationalist figures in Shiite Islam, while "Conquerors of Khaybar" has been used in anti-Jewish contexts, primarily by Islamist groups.

Kitov was caught in the act, and investigators found he had received $7,000 for his activities. The Iranian agents he communicated with used the aliases "Mike" and "Roni Bar."

The Shin Bet and police warned that "intelligence and terrorist elements continue their efforts to recruit Israelis for security and terrorist missions within Israel. These actors attempt to recruit Israelis through social media, and we caution citizens and residents of Israel against engaging with foreign agents or carrying out missions on their behalf."