After completing the National Technician Training Program, Doron Bokobza worked as a technician at a chemical factory, eventually offering to sell Iran sensitive information about Israel’s Dimona nuclear reactor.
Ynet reports that Bokobza, a 29-year-old technician from Be’er Sheva, is facing charges for allegedly initiating contact with Iranian officials and offering them access to information, including a claim that he had “access to the Nuclear Research Center” in Dimona. The indictment accuses him of communicating with a foreign agent and transferring data to an enemy nation.
In a piece published last year about students from Be’er Sheva’s Technological College for Technicians who completed the same National Technician Training Program, Bokobza was interviewed. He shared, “From the moment I graduated from the college in July 2023, I was signed to a contract as an employee in the Instrumentation and Control department of Haifa Negev Technologies. I am currently a candidate for the only position in the country as the instrumentation manager of the new ammonia facility.” On his Facebook account, Bokobza posted various content, including a message by former national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir titled “I Accuse,” in which he expressed, “I joined the struggle to save the Negev. As part of the struggle, the Barel Patrol is being established with the approval of the Israeli police, a patrol of volunteer fighters that will operate in the Negev to restore security to the residents. To establish the unit, we are conducting a crowdfunding campaign to purchase auxiliary equipment. I have taken upon myself a fundraising goal, and I would be happy if you could join. Any amount is welcome.”
MK Almog Cohen of Ben-Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit party, who chaired the Committee to Save the Negev, a group Bokobza joined, claimed that he had never heard of him.
Since October 7, Bokobza posted several updates urging the release of Noa Argamani, a former hostage taken from the Nova music festival during the terrorist attack on that date, and her partner Avinatan Or, who remains in captivity. In one post, he recalled their past together, writing, “Noa Argamani, where were we eight years ago? Smiling and laughing. Where were we five years ago, on some remote mountain in Bolivia. I rented a motorcycle, and you trusted me enough to climb a steep hill and photograph you looking at the Amazon River. Ah, Noa, how hard it was for me to see your abduction with Avinatan, my friend! A man I looked up to as a savior for me. Noa and Avinatan! I’m waiting for you! Return soon, safe and sound!”
Bokobza was arrested last month following an investigation by Israel Police’s serious crimes unit and the Shin Bet, who suspected him of contacting Iranian agents and carrying out operations under their direction in exchange for financial compensation. The investigation revealed that Bokobza maintained communication with Iranian intelligence officials for months and carried out several security-related assignments, such as photographing sensitive sites and providing information. In conversations with his Iranian handler, Bokobza boasted about his access to the Nuclear Research Center in Dimona and offered publicly available data related to the facility. According to the indictment, Bokobza “initiated the contact, fully aware that he was in communication with an Iranian handler and that his actions could harm national security.”
Previously a bailiff, Bokobza communicated with Iranian operatives on Telegram, reaching out to profiles displaying Iran’s national flag. From December until his arrest in February, he continued his exchanges with an Iranian agent, completing tasks as instructed by the agent. As part of the operation, he opened a digital wallet which received about $850 in cryptocurrency.
In December, Bokobza sent a message to an Iranian agent in Hebrew saying, “I am Israeli, and I want to work with you.” The agent responded in English, asking about his motives. Bokobza mentioned financial difficulties and dissatisfaction with the government. The agent then asked him to demonstrate his loyalty by filming himself making a specific hand gesture on the street. Later that day, Bokobza filmed himself driving through Be’er Sheva while making a “V” sign with his fingers. After sending the video, the Iranian agent transferred $65 to his digital wallet. Days later, the agent instructed him to film and photograph various supermarket products, including dairy, fruits, and vegetables, as well as their prices, in exchange for $130. Bokobza then sent the agent an unexpected message: “You will not defeat us. The people of Israel live!” Shortly thereafter, he received another message from the same Iranian-linked profile, urging him to cooperate. “Work with us, we want to give you a lot of money. You will have a happy life without worries,” it read. Initially, he deleted the message and blocked the profile but later resumed contact.
In further conversations, Bokobza falsely claimed to be an electronics engineer employed at a classified facility. He sent the Iranian agent a Wikipedia screenshot of the Nuclear Research Center in Dimona. The agent responded with repeated messages offering large sums of money for his cooperation. Bokobza later suggested meeting the agent abroad. He also sent the agent a photo of a communication cabinet, claiming it was a key component “responsible for the heavy water.” In return, Bokobza received $650 in cryptocurrency.
After hearing about the arrests of two IDF reservists accused of jeopardizing national security with similar links to Iranian handlers, Bokobza deleted his communications with the agent and blocked the profile. He later unblocked the profile and messaged the agent, saying, “Hey, sorry I blocked you, it’s just that two soldiers who worked with you were caught, so I preferred to delete everything.”
In 2021, Bokobza voiced his strong disapproval of what he saw as the lenient treatment of convicted terrorists in Israeli prisons. He expressed, “I served in the army, I was a combat soldier—three of the best years of my life! I pay taxes, they take from my hard-earned salary! And someone who murdered, who never paid taxes, who didn’t serve in the army (at least not the IDF), gets three kilograms of meat a week of their choice, a PlayStation and a premium TV package that rivals the best of Yes [a local satellite television provider]. I’m ashamed.”
{Matzav.com Israel}