Iranian operatives target Israeli ministers with fake chabad Hanukkah invitation

A seemingly innocent invitation to a Chabad Hanukkah event in New York raised suspicions among Israeli government ministers. The message, which was later traced to Iranian sources, led to a security investigation. On Sunday, Minister of the Negev, Galilee, and National Resilience, Yitzhak Wasserlauf, and Minister of Heritage, Amichai Eliyahu, each received an invitation to a Chabad Hanukkah celebration in Brooklyn, New York.

The invitation, which appeared to be from a member of the Chabad movement, raised alarms for the ministers. Minister Wasserlauf immediately contacted his ministry's security officer to verify the authenticity of the message.

According to Arutz Sheva – Israel National News, the security officer forwarded the contents of the invitation to Israeli security officials, who confirmed it had been sent by Iranian operatives. The message read: "Shalom, I am writing to you on behalf of the Chabad movement. It is my honor to invite you to participate in the Hanukkah celebrations at the end of December in Brooklyn, New York. This holiday coincides with Christmas and the New Year."

The invitation continued, stating, "The event will celebrate the tradition of Hanukkah and will be attended by prominent members of the American Jewish community, including political and religious leaders of distinction. We would be honored to have you, Mr. Yitzhak Wasserlauf, join these festive celebrations."

It concluded with a request for a prompt reply: "If you are interested in participating, please confirm at your earliest convenience so that we can send you an official invitation from the Chabad movement. We will arrange your travel and accommodations. Looking forward to your urgent response."

CWA, a Chabad security organization, stated: "We are familiar with this type of approach, and it is currently being handled by the appropriate security authorities."