Israel Matzav

Website naming 'Cast Lead war criminals' put up and taken down within 3 days

A website revealing the names and contact information for some 200 IDF officers and soldiers labeled 'Gaza war criminals' was put up on Tuesday in the hope of attracting attention and 'war crimes' complaints. The site was taken down on Thursday as a violation of the host's terms of service.

The website, launched on Tuesday, features names, photographs, ranks, positions, birthdates, identity numbers and addresses of what it claims "the direct perpetrators" of the operation, IDF soldiers that "range from low-level field commanders to the highest echelons of the Israeli army." The information is "pirated," and was received and published anonymously.

"Not only did they perform on behalf of a murderous state mechanism but actively encouraged other people to do the same," the site claims. "They bear a distinctive personal responsibility."

The site says that by "underlining [specific soldiers] we are purposefully directing attention to individuals rather than the static structures through which they operate...It is to these persons and others like them to which we must object and bring our plaints to bear upon."

The site also "encourages people to seek out other such similar information. It is readily available in the public sphere and inside public officials' locked cabinets." It also asks readers to "disseminate [the information] widely."

"This project...has only just begun," the site reads. "Do your bit so that this virtual list may come to bear upon the physical."

One dissemination strategy has been foiled, as Facebook has prevented users from posting the list on its site. The social networking site called the list of soldiers "blocked content that has previously been flagged as abusive."

The site taken down two days after it was launched, due to violations of its host's terms of service.

The "My Israel" movement has announced an NIS 10,000 cash prize for whoever has information that will lead to "catching" those who are responsible for posting the 200 names. The movement said that its 11,400 members will pay for the prize.

The organization's website also has a petition, titled "We are All War Criminals," in support of the soldiers listed online. "The fighters defend us, now it's our turn to defend the fighters," the site reads.

But as many of you know, once something is up for more than a few seconds there's a cache page of it available even if it's taken down, and yes, there is a cache page of this website. Someone sent it to me on Thursday night, but I won't post it because I don't want to spread the names further.

Meanwhile some Knesset members are calling for an investigation into how troops' personal details were leaked.

MK Danny Danon on Thursday presented a request to the Knesset speaker for an urgent investigation by the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee into the "destructive publication on the internet, in which the personal details of IDF soldiers who fought in [Operation] Cast Lead were exposed."

...

In his request, Danon requested a debate in the committee into the consequences of the publication for the personal security of the soldiers and its influence on motivation and morale in the IDF." The MK called for an investigation into "who is standing behind the website and for their punishment."

Also on Thursday, Kadima MK Majallie Whbee called for the Attorney General and Israel Police to investigate those behind the website.

Whbee said, "Those who incite against IDF soldiers and call them 'war criminals' and endanger them should be punished for it." He continued by demanding the police to take action against the perpetrators.

I can only think of one other country in the world where something like this could happen. Yes, the United States.

Labels: Danny Danon, Majallie Whbee, Operation Cast Lead, war criminals website

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:19 AM