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In
a statement, the Shin Bet security service said the suspect
corresponded with the unnamed person over social media. It said
he provided photographs taken in the house as proof he had
access and proposing installing malware on Gantz's computer.
Tensions run high between Iran and Israel over Tehran's nuclear
programme and what Israeli officials describe as its military
entrenchment and support of Israel's enemies in the region.
The Shin Bet said the suspect, who performed housekeeping and
cleaning tasks in Gantz's residence, was indicted on espionage
charges by a court in Lod, a city near Tel Aviv. It said he was
arrested after an investigation earlier this month.
It was not immediately clear whether he had entered a plea.
The Public Defender's Office, which assigned a lawyer to aid the
suspect, said he had acted out of "financial duress" and had not
intended to harm national security.
Gal Wolf, the attorney representing him, implied on Kan public
radio that the man had intended to extract money without
actually being able to carry out any espionage.
"A person can boast and say he can deliver the goods, (but) the
Shin Bet's statement does not stand the test of reality," Wolf
said.
In its announcement, the Shin Bet said that while the suspect
posed a potential danger to national security, he "was not
exposed to classified material and subsequently none was passed
on from him to the elements with whom he made contact".
(Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Jeffrey Heller and Mark
Heinrich)
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