The Leaks Are Coming From Inside The White House: President Donald Trump shared sensitive Israeli intelligence about ISIS with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak. Image by Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

WASHINGTON (JTA) – Israeli cyberintelligence reportedly uncovered detailed Islamic State plans for bomb attacks aboard aircraft that led to the U.S. ban on laptops on flights from eight Muslim-majority nations.

The revelation appeared Monday in a New York Times article about the difficulties facing the United States in using cyber-warfare to contain the influence of the terrorist group, which quickly regroups once Western intelligence agencies are able to disable its networks.

One of the few recent successes, the Times said, was Israel’s cyber-infiltration of a small cell of terrorists in Syria working on disguising explosive devices as batteries for laptops. That was part of the information President Trump leaked last month to top Russian officials, much to Israel’s consternation, the report said.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The Trump administration is considering extending the laptop ban to flights from European airports.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount