Eye on the Enemy: ’’Israeli’’ Army Prepares For Cyber Era, “IDF” Chief, Finance Minister Quarrel in Gov’t Meeting
Ben-Eliezer: Yair Lapid Entry into Politics Will Lead to Netanyahu's winning the Elections
"It's still unclear what Lapid is going to offer, but he will bring about many medium-sized parties - everyone will have 15 mandates," Ben-Eliezer estimated, adding that "these parties will face a large Likud party with Lieberman, which will always win."
Shinui party led by Tommy Lapid previously won 15 seats; some of them came from Russian-originated voters. Yisrael Beiteinu. Will some of these voices go to Lapid? "That's not clear", says a senior right-wing minister. "It's a possibility, because there are young people of Russian origin who might vote for a party like that. In any case, it is still too early to evaluate."
"Israeli" Army Is Preparing For Cyber Era; Internet Has Become a Real Battlefield
Gili Cohen - Haaretz
As a result of the discussions held recently at the army general staff, the navy will be in charge of protecting "Israeli" offshore drilling rigs. The decision states that the force unit Shaytet 13, which is in charge of the navy's battleships, will be responsible for naval patrols between the natural gas fields Tamar, Leviathan and Yam Tethys and for the security of their territorial waters (including any future drilling rigs). They also said the navy won't be the only force protecting the rigs, which are drilling for oil and natural gas, since the "Israel" Air Force will have aircraft on alert in case of an attack.
Navy officers noted that the mission will amount to thousands of hours of missile boats' operational hours each year. In general, missile boats spend tens of thousands of operational hours, since this is a substantial part of the ships' naval activity.
The sovereignty of the rigs is determined by the state to which they belong, so the rigs are located beyond "Israel's" territorial waters - 22 miles from land - but within "Israel's" "economic waters," which stretch up to 130 miles offshore. Therefore, the navy may legally act to prevent the rigs from being attacked.
"The whole issue of 'economic waters' actually triples the size of "Israel", but also creates strategic threats not only concerning the rigs and those working there, but also a threat to "Israel's" energy supply," said a senior naval officer. "A possible strike against the rigs is a nightmare scenario."
Therefore, the navy has decided to add two missile boats that are expected to be received in the next few years, at the cost of several million shekels each. Still, according to the Navy and Planning Division analysis, even more sea crafts will be needed to secure the rigs, and the navy is well aware that these operations will come at a cost.
"We'll get more boats for the mission, but that isn't enough," the navy officer said. "We need even more. It will come at the expense of other things. One can't strengthen the navy in the long term like this. It means changing the operations of missile boats."
The "Israeli" army considers the drilling rigs to be potential targets. A senior navy officer in the reserves said that the rigs could be "easy prey" for terrorists or to hostilities during an armed conflict.
The main method of a possible attack on the rigs include massive rounds of missiles (probably meaning the Syrian Yahount missiles, recently defined by the navy as "game-changing" weapons that are considered a major threat to the activity of "Israeli" naval crafts), the intentional crashing of manned or unmanned aircrafts, a collision with an approaching water craft, or a maritime explosion.
The drilling companies are responsible for security within the rigs, and they hire private security companies, which is a profitable developed business.
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Attila Somfalvi - Ynet
The date for the next elections is yet to be determined, but the political system woke up this morning (Monday) viewing a new scene - with an actor shining in: Yair Lapid. Kadima is estimated to be afraid and mistaken, and the Labor Party expressed concern that Lapid's statement on the Knesset's elections, which was first published by Ynet, will harm the entire camp. MK Binyamin Ben-Eliezer told Ynet, "Lapid's entry into politics is going to anchor Netanyahu's position as a prime minister." Last night Lapid published on his Facebook page the following message: "I have embarked on a new path; I am equipped with the power of knowing I am doing something I believe in. You are my community and I draw my strength from you. I promise ... to continue to listen to you." He added an email address of "Lapidteam" too.
Is it estimated that Lapid is in the process of creating a new party, according to various sources, with the help of Uri Shani, the former CEO of the Likud and Sharon's bureau chief. Who's there? Among the names being mentioned as candidates are:
• Gen. (res.) Shlomo Yanai , former CEO of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries
• Karnit Goldwasser, who claims that she has not yet decided.
• Eitan Hai-Am, Health Ministry director-general who resigned because of the graves issue in Asqalan's (Asheklon) hospital.
• Dimona Mayor, Meir Cohen.
• Herzliya Mayor, Yael German.
• Holon Mayor, Moti Sasson.
• Gen. (res.) Moshe Kaplinsky, CEO of "Better Place".
• Environmental Protection Ministry director-general Alona Karo
• Student Union Chairman Itzik Shmueli , whose name is also mentioned in connection with the leftist organization of Eldad Yaniv.
• Rabbi Shai Piron , who denied his involvement in this
The former Labor chairman congratulated Lapid, saying: "If his arrival will wake up dormant politicians, it's a blessing."
But you have to look from the splitting angle of the center - left. Lots of moderate forces will be facing a giant. "So who will pay the price?" He will not affect the Likud. His strength is stemmed from the Labor Party or Kadima, or from those who usually are members of these parties, but they won't vote to avoid contempt.
"Lapid's entry into politics will have a marginal damage on the right-wing", assure Ben - Eliezer." Lapid's powerhouse is not in the Likud or Yisrael Beiteinu. One of his flags held against the ultra-Orthodox will be a secular one. This flag does fit neither with the right, nor with the Likud."
"He left too soon'
While the Labor party fears partition, and Livni is being pressurized in Kadima to hold the elections for the party, the right-wing parties are actually calm, and estimate that the Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu might cause damage to the party of Lapid . "He left too soon," said a senior minister in the Likud. "He had to announce at this time, although it is doubtful whether he really wanted to do it now." In the background, as it is well known, lies the "cooling-off bill" that might prohibit journalists to run for the Knesset elections in the period following their retirement, which also got a boost in recent weeks.
"Entering politics now will give him more time, because it is unclear when the next elections will take place," added the Minister. "Meanwhile, he doesn't have a media outlet, and he joined a game in a field already full of players: Kadima, Labor, Meretz and other organizations."
The Right is mainly talking about the apparent division among the opponents. "The new player slightly harms the Likud," said officials close to Prime Minister. "Only if he reaches large numbers in his campaign then he might wipe us out. We are affected only if Lapid became a trend in "Israeli" society. Likud and "Israel" are in the 2nd influential circle".
Lapid's father, former Shinui chairman Yosef Tommy Lapid, was known for his positions against the ultra- Orthodox. His son's views are similar, for Shas Chairman Eli Yishai, told Ynet "during each term, there are existing parties and new parties that engage in a competition of who is more harmful to the Jewish religious traditions and values and religious people. This is a déjà-vu festival ".
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"IDF" Chief, Finance Minister Quarrel during Gov't Meeting
Tal Shalev - Walla!News
Chief Gantz shouted at Minister Steinitz "I remember better than you that I wear a uniform," after the minister had attacked him and said that uniform men are not allowed to criticize ministers against the proposed defense budget cuts.
An argument developed during the weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday between the Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz and the of Chief of Staff - Major General Benny Gantz: at the beginning of the discussion on the 4% lateral budgetary cuts that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is willing to impose in all ministries to finance free education from the age of 3, the representatives of Ministry of Finance displayed a presentation on a series of proposed lateral budget cuts. Following the presentation, Chief of Staff Gantz spoke with the Staff adviser of financial affairs.
Then the Finance Minister addressed the cabinet and the chief of staff complaining that uniform-wearing officers are harshly criticizing the ministers and their announcements. Asked to elaborate, Steinitz replied that he heard people in uniform defining the finance data as "incorrect" and "worthless". Gantz retorted: "I am rather more aware that I wear a uniform more than you are." Gantz explained that he is not criticizing, but rather asked for an explanation from the consultant related to the defense budget. "I'm wearing a uniform and I'm not passing a judgment on the ministers. I do not understand the study or the numbers," said Gantz. "You are a uniform-wearing officer and therefore should not speak in this manner," the finance minister said. "It is forbidden from uniform officers to criticize the government ministers."
Meanwhile, it was reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supported the security system, due to the intention to make a lateral cut in the budgets of government ministries to finance free education law from the age of three."We cannot make cuts in the defense budget and we should even increase it," Netanyahu said at the cabinet meeting.
Netanyahu explained that given the abundant challenges and threats surrounding us, it would be a mistake, a big mistake even, to cut the defense budget and noted that "anyone with eyes is seeing what is going on around us from the Atlantic Ocean in Morocco to the east." "We need a responsible economic policy in which we do not exceed the budget, that's why I demanded a lateral cut in government ministries, structural changes in security, and changes of priorities in the various ministries," he stated. "These are difficult decisions to accept but that's the meaning of leadership," he added.
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"Israeli" Army Website
"In the past year, the cyber domain has become another battlefront, in addition to the ground, sea and air," said the head of the Computer Service Directorate's Cyber Defense Department at a conference held last week to commemorate the anniversary of ICT "martyrs". "The internet has become a real battlefield."
Currently, internet is not just another arm, but another dimension that outclasses all of the "Israeli" army's arms, "said the senior officer. According to his words, "Our mission is to make sure that all the weapons and arms of the "Israeli" army, are up-to-date. We formulate perceptions, political orientation, and we build theories."
"Our job is to make sure that the entire "Israeli" army is prepared in this area," said the senior officer. He noted that the IDF is establishing a unit to monitor cyber incidents online, as part of the building of forces for this new arena.
The official said that the cyber issue has an operational and real influence beyond cyberspace, which can harm organizations and even countries."Terrorist groups understand that there is a huge potential for causing harm to countries or entities, damage that could change the balance," he said. "Our job is to prevent this from happening. In contrast to other battle fronts, time and space have no meaning in the cyber realm. It can be a single hacker or a large group." The official estimated that the bodies operating against "Israel" include terrorist groups, organized crime syndicates, enemy countries, professional and amateur hackers, companies, corporations and internal entities.
"Viruses, Trojans and worms have been around for years, yet something has changed," he said. "The entire fabric of our lives, from when we wake up to when we fall asleep, depends on the computer." The only factor that made this quantum leap in the cyber world is: the users, the human factor," noted the officer.
According to the official, the army is currently developing defensive cyber measures, with an emphasis on operational responses to cyber incidents. "For us, cyber defense means ensuring the continuity of ICT-based operational processes that depend on the aspects of availability, confidentiality and reliability" he concluded.
Source: Hebrew Newspapers, Translated by moqawama.org
