Monday's revelation that former minister Gonen Segev allegedly spied for Iran shocked Israel.
While he likely did not transmit to the enemy information that could cause great harm to Israel's security, the mere fact that the Islamic Republic's secret service managed to recruit a senior member of the Jewish state's government, someone who could potentially have been privy to highly sensitive material, can be seen as a veritable achievement for Iran.
Just a few days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in late April, proudly revealed that the Mossad had obtained Iran's secret nuclear archive in a stunning intelligence operation, the Shin Bet and Israel Police arrested Segev “on suspicion of having aided the enemy in wartime and spied against the State of Israel” and other crimes, the Shin Bet said.
According to the domestic intelligence agency, in charge of counter-espionage, Segev has been in touch with Iranian officials since 2012 and has since twice been to Tehran to meet with his handlers. Whether or not Segev provided Iran with valuable information, the mere fact that it took Israel several years to catch on may also harm its reputation as an intelligence powerhouse.
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