Filmed a helicopter near the Knesset and was interrogated for two hours: "Are you an Iranian spy? You don't fit in"

A Jerusalem resident who filmed a police helicopter in the Rose Garden was subjected to a two-hour interrogation by a Shin Bet agent. The young man claims he was forced to unlock his phone, was searched in public, and threatened with force. The Shin Bet declined to comment.

YnetAuthor: Liran Tamari
Source
Filmed a helicopter near the Knesset and was interrogated for two hours: "Are you an Iranian spy? You don't fit in"
Photo: Ynet / צילום: Opachevsky Irina / Shutterstock.com

A., a young Jerusalem resident, was present in the government district when he saw a police helicopter taking off. He filmed the takeoff, only to find himself detained by a Shin Bet agent for an interrogation that lasted approximately two hours. A. describes the experience as humiliating and deeply frightening.

Minutes after filming in the Rose Garden, a man approached him, identified himself as a Shin Bet agent, and began questioning him. A. claims he was forced to unlock his mobile phone and hand it over to the agent, who spent a significant amount of time browsing his applications, private correspondence, and personal conversations, even photographing the content on his own device.

"I felt humiliated. He went through my entire phone, entered applications, read personal conversations, and even intimate conversations with my wife. I was trembling with fear," A. recalled.

The interrogation focused on why he was filming the helicopter. The agent asked if he used Telegram or was cooperating with Iranians, at one point remarking that he "does not fit into the landscape." A. further described being asked to remove his shirt for a search in the middle of a public park.

According to A., he was subjected to intense pressure during the questioning:

"He told me that if I didn't talk, there were patrol cars on the way, and that I should talk before he extracted the information from me by force. I was frozen. He threw all my belongings on the ground, asked for the entry code to my home, and photographed things from inside my phone."

The incident ended after two hours. The agent stated that he had checked the systems and found nothing unusual, then released A., telling him he would be contacted from a blocked number. The Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) chose not to comment on the report.

Related News