Israeli security authorities last week detained an independent journalist on suspicion of contact with Iranian operatives, according to a new report from Ynet.

The journalist — who holds a government-issued press card — was arrested in a joint operation by the Shin Bet and the Jerusalem District Police after authorities alleged he had been in contact with Iranian-linked figures.

The arrest followed an unusual sequence of events: the journalist had voluntarily contacted the police Cyber Unit after receiving unsolicited messages from unknown individuals. According to sources familiar with the questioning, he grew concerned about the nature of the outreach and alerted authorities on his own initiative, only to find himself detained days later.

Security officials questioned the journalist for several hours before transferring him to police custody for continued investigation. He denied any wrongdoing, telling investigators he was unaware the correspondents were allegedly connected to Iran and that the messages resembled routine inquiries he receives as part of his reporting.

Associates of the journalist said he believed he was acting in the interest of Israel’s Chareidi community and did not carry out any request that could endanger national security.

In one instance, he was asked to photograph a street but declined after becoming suspicious, they said. In another, he reportedly received a request — framed as support for Chareidi protests against mandatory military service — to provide images from demonstrations in exchange for a small payment.

He did not comply, according to people familiar with the case.

Despite those claims, authorities moved forward with the arrest. On Jan. 29, the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court extended the journalist’s detention by eight days, citing the seriousness of the allegations.

That decision, however, lasted less than 24 hours.

Following an appeal by defense attorney Nati Rom, the Jerusalem District Court overturned the lower court’s ruling and ordered the journalist’s release under unspecified restrictive conditions.

Rom criticized the handling of the case, calling it an example of overreach in national security investigations.

“Behind the serious allegations stands a law-abiding journalist, a man of integrity and a patriot who would never consider lifting a finger against Israel’s security,” Rom said in a statement. “He did not engage in any act that could be interpreted as serving hostile interests.”

“I am saddened to encounter yet again the police’s aggressive approach in cases that carry headlines about state security, where common sense and due process are often set aside,” he said.

The Shin Bet has not publicly detailed the evidentiary basis for the arrest, and authorities have declined to comment on the scope of the investigation. Still, the case lands amid heightened Israeli concern about Iranian intelligence activity, particularly efforts to exploit journalists, activists, and protest movements to gather open-source intelligence.

Legal experts note that Israeli law allows security agencies wide latitude when investigating suspected foreign contacts — even absent clear intent — but the district court’s swift intervention suggests judicial unease with how that authority was applied here.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)