Israel Repels 44M Cyber Attacks on Web Site
Israel has repelled some 44 million cyber attacks on government websites since the start of Operation Pillar of Defense, a government minister said.
Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz told reporters that all the attacks have been thwarted except one, which brought down a website for a short time.
On Saturday, the online terror group Anonymous announced that it had brought down 700 Israeli private and public websites, including the websites of several Israeli government offices, such as the Foreign Ministry and the Kadima Party. It did bring down the Foreign Ministry’s Mashav department website, which coordinates Israeli aid missions to foreign countries, and the Kadima website remained down as of Sunday night.
The group also said it erased the database of the Bank of Jerusalem, though the bank’s website is operational. It also released the personal information, including national ID number and e-mail, of at least 35,000 Israelis.
“For far too long, Anonymous has stood by with the rest of the world and watched in despair the barbaric, brutal and despicable treatment of the Palestinian people in the so called ‘Occupied Territories’ by the Israel Defense Force. But when the government of Israel publicly threatened to sever all Internet and other telecommunications into and out of Gaza they crossed a line in the sand,” Anonymous said in a statement.
“We are ANONYMOUS and NO ONE shuts down the Internet on our watch. To the IDF and government of Israel we issue you this warning only once. Do NOT shut down the Internet into the ‘Occupied Territories,’ and cease and desist from your terror upon the innocent people of Palestine or you will know the full and unbridled wrath of Anonymous.”
One year ago, Anonymous launched a cyber attack on several Israeli government and military websites, including government ministries, the Mossad and the IDF, after Israel intercepted Gaza-bound ships attempting to break the naval blockade.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
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 the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
