Israel News for 1-9-19
Arab Attack
An Israeli woman driving her car was attacked by a gang of Arabs who blocked the road with their car and proceeded to smash her windows with a hammer. The woman managed to drive away and was lightly injured in the attack. The attack occurred in the Binyamin district of Samaria, near the Israeli town of Maaleh Levona. Security forces are searching for the assailants.
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Russian Meddling
In response to a warning by Shin Bet Director Nadav Argaman against foreign countries meddling in Israel’s upcoming elections, Kremlin spokesman Dimitri Paskov said, “Russia is not interfering and does not intend to interfere in the elections in any country in the world.” He also also said that people should “not read the Israeli media.”
Argaman warned, “I don’t know in favor of whom or against whom the foreign country will interfere. At this point, I cannot say which political interest plays a role here, however, a foreign country will attempt to meddle in the April elections and I know what I’m talking about.”
The Shin Bet released a statement saying, “The Shin Bet would like to make clear that the State of Israel and the intelligence community have the tools and capabilities to identify, monitor and thwart foreign influence efforts, should there be any. The Israeli defense apparatus is able to guarantee democratic and free elections are held in Israel.”
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Spy Jailed
Former Energy and Infrastructure Minister Gonen Segev signed a plea bargain with the state on Wednesday and will serve 11 years in prison for spying for Iran. Segev confessed and was convicted of espionage, aiding an enemy in war time, as well as providing information to the enemy.
He was first contacted by Iranian embassy officials in Nigeria in 2012 (where he was living at the time), and at a later stage traveled to Iran twice for meetings with his handlers—while being fully aware they belonged to Iranian intelligence. Over the years as an Iranian agent, Segev met with his handlers in apartments and hotels around the world, which he told interrogators he believed are used for covert Iranian activity. He also used an encrypted communications system to conceal the exchange of messages between him and his handlers.
To obtain the information he was asked for by his Iranian handlers, Segev maintained contacts with Israelis who have ties to Israeli security, defense and foreign relations. He worked to put the Israeli officials in contact with Iranian intelligence elements, who he presented as businessmen.
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Elections Update
Labor Party leader Avi Gabbay announced that Benny Gantz’s new party will not join forces with Labor in the upcoming elections. Gabbay recently split off from the Zionist Union. All alone, polls say that Labor will win no more than 7 or 8 seats.
According to a recent Channel 10 News poll, 41% of voters would pick Netanyahu as PM vs 38% for Ganz and only 29% for Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid.
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