Website listing details of IDF commanders taken down

But copies of the 'Israeli war criminals' site continue to circulate around the Internet; publication raises questions of information security.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN, JPOST STAFF
War Criminals Website 311 (photo credit: Courtesy)
War Criminals Website 311
(photo credit: Courtesy)
An American web hosting service removed on Thursday a website published in recent days which listed the names, images, addresses, identity numbers and positions of hundreds of IDF soldiers and commanders accused by the site's anonymous author of being "Israeli war criminals" during Operation Cast Lead in Gaza.
The appearance of the site has raised new questions on holes in security surrounding sensitive IDF information, although a number of soldiers who were listed on the site said on Thursday that they were proud to appear on it.
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The list even included personal information on outgoing IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi.
"This Site has been suspended for breaching Zymic's hosting T.O.S. [terms of service]," read a message which replace the site's content.
"You will not get away with abusing our service. We utilize human review checking as well as automated abuse checks which will suspend and ban your account. Don't bother wasting your time with our service if you aim to abuse it," the message continued.
Yet despite being removed from its original address, copies of the website continued to circulate around other sites around the Internet.
The site said it contained details of soldiers frmo "low-level field commanders to the highest echelons of the Israeli army." The anonymous author added that the information was "pirated."
 "Not only did they perform on behalf of a murderous state mechanism but actively encouraged other people to do the same," the site said. "They bear a distinctive personal responsibility."
The site called on readers "to seek out other such similar information. It is readily available in the public sphere and inside public officials' locked cabinets."
"This project... has only just begun... Do your bit so that this virtual list may come to bear upon the physical."
Facebook on Thursday prevented users from posting the list on its global social network, describing it as "blocked content that has previously been flagged as abusive."