Palestinian Couple Poses as Israeli, Defrauds the Government
A Palestinian couple has been exposed for allegedly defrauding the Israeli government of over 1 million shekels using a stolen identity and fraudulent marriage.
Jerusalem, 13 May, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Investigators, uncovered an affair in which a Palestinian couple acquired the personal information of an Israeli citizen and used it to lead a covert lifestyle and receive benefits from the Government.
An investigation revealed that over 20 years ago, the couple married under their real names. Shortly thereafter, they supposedly divorced. They then remarried, with the woman carrying the false identity of an Israeli citizen residing in Aroer.
This marriage to an alleged Israeli citizen gave the suspect a fraudulent residence permit, due to family reunification, and the two also received state funds and established businesses. The two divided their time between their home in Rahat, where the suspect operated under a false identity, and their home in Halhul, where they knew her by her real name.
According to sources at the National Insurance Institute, this is a huge fraud involving a total amount of over a million shekels of state funds. Among other things, the mother of the citizen whose details were obtained continued to receive National Insurance funds even after her death, an amount estimated at half a million shekels. Subject to the findings of the investigation, the National Insurance Institute revoked the residency status of the suspect and her young children, and the police seized her vehicles for the purpose of a confiscation process.
