Residents of the Samaria community of Yitzhar have uncovered an undercover agent of the Shabak's 'Jewish department,' Kan News reported Sunday. The agent had been embedded in a yeshiva in central Israel before moving to Yitzhar. He first gathered information about the yeshiva's students and rabbis as well as the mood of the yeshiva, before being moved to Yitzhar, where he collected information about minors who were allegedly part of the 'hilltop youth' and was a key figure in violent incidents over the last few years, During his work with the Shabak, the agent received hundreds of thousands of shekels in aggregate, as well as rewards for providing information about the violent events in which he participated. In recent days, as part of his disclosure, the agent admitted his activities to his friends at the yeshiva and among the 'hilltop youth,' apologized, disengaged from his Shabak handlers and is currently working together with rabbis and key figures to correct what he did in various ways. Information provided by the agent was discovered in a family home in Yitzhar, including listening devices on the sofa of the living room. Information the agent provided to the Shin Bet led to the expulsion of several residents and the house arrest of several right-wing activists. Akiva Hacohen, who exposed the agent, said: "This is an innocent yeshiva guy from the center of the country who only after the Shin Bet put tremendous psychological pressure on him and incited him while paying hundreds of thousands of shekels in aggregate, did he move to Yitzhar to harm the settlers there." "We are glad that he understood that in the Jewish Department of the Shabak they are working against the Jews and his friends and not for their benefit or his benefit and he decided to repent. I call on everyone who the Shin Bet have managed to snare in their net, Boys who repent have not been locked up, turn to your friends today and tell them, and we will help you get out of the exploitation of the Shin Bet," Hacohen added. The Shabak refused to comment on the case.
