(TJV NEWS) Elimelech Stern, a 21-year-old Hasidic yeshiva student from Israel, has been indicted for allegedly working with Iranian intelligence, YNet News reported

The charges have left his community in disbelief. “He’s a strictly observant student. At first, we all thought this was a mistake,” said one acquaintance. “Even now, we believe he didn’t know who he was actually working for.”

According to Ynet News, Stern’s arrest came after a two-month investigation led by the Shin Bet and Israeli police. The indictment includes multiple national security charges. Authorities say he was recruited via the encrypted messaging app Telegram, where he received directives from a handler using the alias “Anna Elena.”

Ynet News reports that Stern was instructed to carry out provocative acts, including hanging posters in public, hiding cash in cities like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and delivering packages containing unsettling items like stuffed animals with severed heads and knives, alongside threatening messages placed at the doorsteps of Israeli homes.

He was also allegedly asked to ignite forest fires—an order he declined—but agreed to carry out other assignments. As per Ynet News, he recruited two other Israelis to help in exchange for cryptocurrency payments from Iranian handlers. Those individuals were questioned and released pending a prosecutorial decision.

Ynet News details that one of the more disturbing instructions included placing a lamb’s head in a gift box, alongside a bouquet of flowers, and leaving it outside the home of Israel’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency. When Stern could not find a real lamb’s head, he reportedly substituted it with a stuffed animal, a knife, and flowers.

The indictment also alleges that Stern was urged to participate in political demonstrations and vandalize property—such as smashing car and shop windows—for which he was promised $500 to $3,000 per act. When he asked his handler whether he should attend right-wing or left-wing protests, she allegedly responded that it “didn’t matter.”

Ynet News quoted a fellow Hasid who said that Stern owning a smartphone—a violation of Vizhnitz community norms—was itself a red flag. “Smartphones are forbidden, especially for yeshiva students. I had no idea he had one. It’s clear he fell down a dark path, but I’m not convinced he knew who was behind it.”

A senior figure in the Vizhnitz Hasidic movement told Ynet News that Stern’s parents, both respected members of the community, believe this is a conspiracy. “His mother is a well-known teacher. His father is close to the Vizhnitz Rebbe and is responsible for publishing his messages and books.”

Security officials told Ynet News that Iran appears to be targeting ultra-Orthodox populations, seeing them as potentially vulnerable to manipulation. “They are perceived as less digitally savvy and not always loyal to the state, making them easier targets for recruitment,” one official said.

Ynet News emphasized that even if serious crimes were not ultimately carried out, the mere potential of espionage makes the case alarming. Authorities are particularly concerned that other individuals may unknowingly be in contact with hostile foreign elements.

In a rare move, the Shin Bet issued a public call for vigilance, particularly within ultra-Orthodox communities. As per Ynet News, the agency’s warning has been distributed through Haredi platforms to raise awareness of Tehran’s increasingly aggressive efforts to infiltrate Israeli society.