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1. The 'Flame' Computer Virus Strikes Iran, 'Worse Than Stuxnet'
by Chana Ya'ar
Iranian security experts report a virus far more dangerous than the Stuxnet worm has struck the country's computer systems.
Dubbed the “Flame,” the virus is one that has struck not only Iran, however, but a number of other enemies of Israel as well.
The Kaspersky Internet security firm is calling the “Flame” data-stealing virus the “most sophisticated cyber-weapon yet unleashed” and hinted it may have been created by the makers of the Stuxnet worm.
Kaspersky called the virus a “cyber-espionage worm” designed to collect and delete sensitive information, primarily in Middle Eastern countries.
The “Flame” has struck at least 600 specific computer systems in Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian Authority, Kaspersky malware expert Vitaly Kamluk told the BBC. He added that the virus has probably been operating discreetly for at least two years.
"This virus is stronger than its predecessor,” he said. “It is one that could only have been created by a state or other large entity.”
Problems in Iran's computer systems are also continuing to surface in connection with the 2010 “Stuxnet” virus. The malware successfully disabled the computers that operated Iran's uranium enrichment facility. More than 16,000 of the Natanz facility's centrifuges were destroyed as a result of the cyber attack.
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by Chana Ya'ar
Iranian security experts report a virus far more dangerous than the Stuxnet worm has struck the country's computer systems.
Dubbed the “Flame,” the virus is one that has struck not only Iran, however, but a number of other enemies of Israel as well.
The Kaspersky Internet security firm is calling the “Flame” data-stealing virus the “most sophisticated cyber-weapon yet unleashed” and hinted it may have been created by the makers of the Stuxnet worm.
Kaspersky called the virus a “cyber-espionage worm” designed to collect and delete sensitive information, primarily in Middle Eastern countries.
The “Flame” has struck at least 600 specific computer systems in Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian Authority, Kaspersky malware expert Vitaly Kamluk told the BBC. He added that the virus has probably been operating discreetly for at least two years.
"This virus is stronger than its predecessor,” he said. “It is one that could only have been created by a state or other large entity.”
Problems in Iran's computer systems are also continuing to surface in connection with the 2010 “Stuxnet” virus. The malware successfully disabled the computers that operated Iran's uranium enrichment facility. More than 16,000 of the Natanz facility's centrifuges were destroyed as a result of the cyber attack.
Tags: Kaspersky ,Iran ,Flame Virus ,Stuxnet Virus ,cyber warfare
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Yaalon Hints Israel behind Flame Malware -
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2. Yaalon Hints Israel behind Flame Malware
by Gil Ronen
Vice Prime Minister Moshe Ya'alon appeared to hint strongly in a radio interview Tuesday that Israel is behind the Flame malware that has attacked computers in Iran and elsewhere.
Asked about the attack, Ya'alon told IDF Radio: "Whoever sees the Iranian threat as a meaningful threat – it is reasonable he would take various measures, including this one."
"Israel has been blessed with being a state rich in top level high-tech. These tools that we take pride in open up various possibilities for us," he added.
Ilan Froimovich, the representative for Kaspersky in Israel, told IDF Radio that the malware is able to collect information in methods that have never been seen before. "The program can transfer files, send screenshots, give keyboard typing patterns and even record audio files," he said.
The program is controlled from a remote computer, the expert said, and only begins operating when it receives an instruction to do so. "That is why it is hard to detect, because it is not active all of the time. This virus is so sophisticated that it can change [its own] characteristics and develop in accordance with instructions. It is a masterpiece of programming, not something that a bored student or some guy, talented as he may be, could do."
Comment on this story
by Gil Ronen
Vice Prime Minister Moshe Ya'alon appeared to hint strongly in a radio interview Tuesday that Israel is behind the Flame malware that has attacked computers in Iran and elsewhere.
Asked about the attack, Ya'alon told IDF Radio: "Whoever sees the Iranian threat as a meaningful threat – it is reasonable he would take various measures, including this one."
"Israel has been blessed with being a state rich in top level high-tech. These tools that we take pride in open up various possibilities for us," he added.
Ilan Froimovich, the representative for Kaspersky in Israel, told IDF Radio that the malware is able to collect information in methods that have never been seen before. "The program can transfer files, send screenshots, give keyboard typing patterns and even record audio files," he said.
The program is controlled from a remote computer, the expert said, and only begins operating when it receives an instruction to do so. "That is why it is hard to detect, because it is not active all of the time. This virus is so sophisticated that it can change [its own] characteristics and develop in accordance with instructions. It is a masterpiece of programming, not something that a bored student or some guy, talented as he may be, could do."
Tags: Flame Virus ,Stuxnet Virus ,Moshe Yaalon
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The 'Flame' Computer Virus Strikes Iran, 'Worse Than Stuxnet'
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3. Body of Missing American Tourist Found Near Beit She'an
by Rachel Hirshfeld
The body of an American tourist, who went missing early Friday afternoon, was discovered near Beit Shean.
Herman Kuehn, 80, of Platte County, Missouri, got separated from his group on May 26, while visiting historic sites in the area. His body was discovered in an industrial zone north of the city on Tuesday.
According to reports, there were no signs of violence or foul play.
Spokesman for the Israeli police, Micky Rosenfeld, described efforts to find Kuehn as a “wide-scale search.”
Kuehn and his wife, Mary, were visiting Israel on a tour with the St. Paul School of Theology, a local Missouri television station reported.
Kuehn had suffered a head injury several years ago and often became confused, the family told Israeli media.
The Kuehn family issued a statement expressing “sincere thanks for all the prayers and concerns for our loved one.”
“Thank you all and to all involved in our search,” the family said in the statement.
Comment on this story
by Rachel Hirshfeld
The body of an American tourist, who went missing early Friday afternoon, was discovered near Beit Shean.
Herman Kuehn, 80, of Platte County, Missouri, got separated from his group on May 26, while visiting historic sites in the area. His body was discovered in an industrial zone north of the city on Tuesday.
According to reports, there were no signs of violence or foul play.
Spokesman for the Israeli police, Micky Rosenfeld, described efforts to find Kuehn as a “wide-scale search.”
Kuehn and his wife, Mary, were visiting Israel on a tour with the St. Paul School of Theology, a local Missouri television station reported.
Kuehn had suffered a head injury several years ago and often became confused, the family told Israeli media.
The Kuehn family issued a statement expressing “sincere thanks for all the prayers and concerns for our loved one.”
“Thank you all and to all involved in our search,” the family said in the statement.
Tags: Israel ,tourist ,Christian ,missing person
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4. Jailed Terrorists Planned Shalit-Type Abduction
by Gil Ronen
The Shin Bet has exposed a terror cell that operated from within Israeli jails and planned the abduction of an Israeli citizen in order to bargain with his life for their own release.
The plot was exposed earlier this month and placed under a media gag order until Tuesday.
The members of the cell are residents of Hevron and Gaza. Some are serving life sentences.
The organization behind the plot is called "the Holy Warriors' Battalions" (Katayeb Almujahedeen) which split off from a group aligned with Fatah. It is headed by one of the plotters, Assad Abu Sharia of Gaza, 35, who is in an Israeli jail.
The Shin Bet noted that the Holy Warriors' Battalions have been involved in terror attacks in the past few years, including rocket fire at Israel, firing at IDF soldiers and setting off explosives on the security fence surrounding Gaza. The group receives financial assistance, weapons and other aid from Hamas.
Besides Abu Sharia, the terrorists involved in the plot are Mohammed Hassan Amur, Ibrahim Ghanimat – both of whom are in jail – as well as Mohammed Baraka Amur, and Ramzi Arar.
The plot was hatched when all of the suspects were serving time together in the Shikma jail. Mohammed Baraka Amur planned the abduction and gave instructions to Ramzi Arar to form a group that would carry out the abduction, and to travel to Saudi Arabia to meet with another member of the organization who would supply him with money and further instructions.
Comment on this story
by Gil Ronen
The Shin Bet has exposed a terror cell that operated from within Israeli jails and planned the abduction of an Israeli citizen in order to bargain with his life for their own release.
The plot was exposed earlier this month and placed under a media gag order until Tuesday.
The members of the cell are residents of Hevron and Gaza. Some are serving life sentences.
The organization behind the plot is called "the Holy Warriors' Battalions" (Katayeb Almujahedeen) which split off from a group aligned with Fatah. It is headed by one of the plotters, Assad Abu Sharia of Gaza, 35, who is in an Israeli jail.
The Shin Bet noted that the Holy Warriors' Battalions have been involved in terror attacks in the past few years, including rocket fire at Israel, firing at IDF soldiers and setting off explosives on the security fence surrounding Gaza. The group receives financial assistance, weapons and other aid from Hamas.
Besides Abu Sharia, the terrorists involved in the plot are Mohammed Hassan Amur, Ibrahim Ghanimat – both of whom are in jail – as well as Mohammed Baraka Amur, and Ramzi Arar.
The plot was hatched when all of the suspects were serving time together in the Shikma jail. Mohammed Baraka Amur planned the abduction and gave instructions to Ramzi Arar to form a group that would carry out the abduction, and to travel to Saudi Arabia to meet with another member of the organization who would supply him with money and further instructions.
Tags: terror arrests ,prison ,Gaza Terrorism
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Comment on this story
5. 'Palestinians' Boycott Israel, Desalination and UNICEF
by Rachel Hirshfeld
The Palestinian Contractors Union announced a boycott of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Monday for allowing Israeli firms to place bids on construction work regarding water desalination stations in Gaza.
The union said contractors would boycott all work for UNICEF “until they backtrack from their decision to take offers from Israeli companies and equate them with Palestinian companies.”
The contractors' union called on UNICEF not to accept the Israeli proposals, warning members of “serious consequences” if they decide to do so, the WAFA news agency reported.
UNICEF special representative Jean Gough said, “We are committed to work with our Palestinian partners to ensure that this unit can be built without delay and with the best quality materials available, so that it can benefit Palestinian children as soon as possible.”
“The final decision on the continuation of this project is in the hands of our Palestinian counterparts and stakeholder.”
UNICEF spokeswoman Catherine Weibel told Ma’an that the agency had invited bids from authorized dealers and manufacturers for the project but to date, no company has been hired.
Comment on this story
by Rachel Hirshfeld
The Palestinian Contractors Union announced a boycott of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Monday for allowing Israeli firms to place bids on construction work regarding water desalination stations in Gaza.
The union said contractors would boycott all work for UNICEF “until they backtrack from their decision to take offers from Israeli companies and equate them with Palestinian companies.”
The contractors' union called on UNICEF not to accept the Israeli proposals, warning members of “serious consequences” if they decide to do so, the WAFA news agency reported.
UNICEF special representative Jean Gough said, “We are committed to work with our Palestinian partners to ensure that this unit can be built without delay and with the best quality materials available, so that it can benefit Palestinian children as soon as possible.”
“The final decision on the continuation of this project is in the hands of our Palestinian counterparts and stakeholder.”
UNICEF spokeswoman Catherine Weibel told Ma’an that the agency had invited bids from authorized dealers and manufacturers for the project but to date, no company has been hired.
Tags: Arabs ,Gaza Strip ,Israel ,boycott ,Water
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6. Shalit Effect Felt in Hamas Elections
by Gil Ronen
Hamas will publish the results of its internal elections in the coming days, and Khaled Mashaal's faction is expected to emerge victorious, according to a report by The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC).
Among the candidates elected to the Hamas Political Bureau are senior terrorists Yihya Alsanwar and Ruhi Mashtaha, both of whom were released in the Shalit deal and allowed to return to Gaza. Other terrorists released in the Shalit deal were elected to the General Shura Council in Gaza.
The ITIC explained that the results indicate that the freed terrorists have been quickly integrated into Hamas activity and were received with appreciation by the movement's activists.
According to the ITIC's analysis, the election results show a strengthening of the Gaza leadership vis-à-vis the top Hamas officials in other places. This can be seen in the election of Gaza's Ahmed Aljaabari and Marwan Isa to the Political Bureau.
Comment on this story
by Gil Ronen
Hamas will publish the results of its internal elections in the coming days, and Khaled Mashaal's faction is expected to emerge victorious, according to a report by The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC).
Among the candidates elected to the Hamas Political Bureau are senior terrorists Yihya Alsanwar and Ruhi Mashtaha, both of whom were released in the Shalit deal and allowed to return to Gaza. Other terrorists released in the Shalit deal were elected to the General Shura Council in Gaza.
The ITIC explained that the results indicate that the freed terrorists have been quickly integrated into Hamas activity and were received with appreciation by the movement's activists.
According to the ITIC's analysis, the election results show a strengthening of the Gaza leadership vis-à-vis the top Hamas officials in other places. This can be seen in the election of Gaza's Ahmed Aljaabari and Marwan Isa to the Political Bureau.
Tags: Hamas ,Shalit deal ,Khaled Mashaal
More on this topic
Comment on this story
7. IDF: We Need the Hareidi Men
by Gil Ronen
The IDF has a shortage of thousands of soldiers and sees hareidim as excellent soldiers who can help fill the manpower gap, Brig. Gen. Gadi Agmon, Head of Planning Brigade and Manpower Administration, told the official committee established to set new parameters for enlistment to military and civilian national service.
The committee, headed by MK Yohanan Plesner of Kadima, convened for the first time Monday, for a marathon 10 hour session. It is charged with finding a replacement to the Tal Law that regualted the enlistment of hareidim until it was declared unconstitutional by the High Court.
Brig. Gen. Agmon said that at present, there are about 7,500 hareidi 18-year-olds who are eligible for enlistment. In 2011, 1,282 hareidim from the ages of 18 to 26 enlisted.
The general was followed by Sar-Shalom Jerbi, Director General of the National Service Administration. Jerbi told the committee that between 2007 and the present day, 1,806 hareidim and 2,399 minority members had volunteered for civilian national service.
Prof. Eugene Kandel, Head of the National Economic Council, said that the present situation is the result of government policy that has existed for 60 years, and that norms that have taken root over such a long period cannot be expected to change one or two years. He said that there has been improvement in the hareidi sector's participation in employment and that ways should be found to strengthen these trends and not weaken them.
Comment on this story
by Gil Ronen
The IDF has a shortage of thousands of soldiers and sees hareidim as excellent soldiers who can help fill the manpower gap, Brig. Gen. Gadi Agmon, Head of Planning Brigade and Manpower Administration, told the official committee established to set new parameters for enlistment to military and civilian national service.
The committee, headed by MK Yohanan Plesner of Kadima, convened for the first time Monday, for a marathon 10 hour session. It is charged with finding a replacement to the Tal Law that regualted the enlistment of hareidim until it was declared unconstitutional by the High Court.
Brig. Gen. Agmon said that at present, there are about 7,500 hareidi 18-year-olds who are eligible for enlistment. In 2011, 1,282 hareidim from the ages of 18 to 26 enlisted.
The general was followed by Sar-Shalom Jerbi, Director General of the National Service Administration. Jerbi told the committee that between 2007 and the present day, 1,806 hareidim and 2,399 minority members had volunteered for civilian national service.
Prof. Eugene Kandel, Head of the National Economic Council, said that the present situation is the result of government policy that has existed for 60 years, and that norms that have taken root over such a long period cannot be expected to change one or two years. He said that there has been improvement in the hareidi sector's participation in employment and that ways should be found to strengthen these trends and not weaken them.
More on this topic
Comment on this story
8. MK Gamliel to Demand 'Free Vote' for 'Ulpana Law'
by Gabe Kahn
MK Gila Gamliel (Likud) on Monday became the latest lawmaker to visit Beit El's threatened Ulpana neighborhood.
Gamliel, who serves as a deputy minister for women's issues and children's welfare attached to the Prime Minister's Office, said "repeating demolitions and evictions is no solution."
She also said she would demand government ministers be allowed to vote their conscience should legislation seeking to legalize the neighborhood be brought to a vote.
Last week, MK Yaakov Katz (National Union) withdrew just such a law at the end of a stormy debate when Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that the government would not oppose the bill if he introduces it two weeks from now – the period in which Netanyahu Minister hopes to find an administrative solution to the problem posed by the court order.
Had Katz insisted on pushing his law to a vote, Netanyahu would have ordered his ministers and party to vote against it, thereby ensuring it did not pass. Katz's law was one of two laws Netanyahu blocked during the session.
Netanyahu has been under intense pressure from coalition leaders and Likud lawmakers to allow ministers and coalition MKs to vote freely on the bill. The Knesset Land of Israel lobby can command 40 Knesset votes, in addition to the votes of sympathetic ministers and lawmakers (who are not formally members of the lobby).
It is widely believed the bill will easily pass if Netanyahu does not oppose the bill, or seek to enforce government and party discipline against it.
Gamliel, whose tour of the Ulpana was guided by Katz, heard from residents and about the difficulties they have encountered in recent months. One of the residents, who sits on the Likud central committee, told her, "The residents here feel like they are pawns in a government chess game."
"I tell you that the members of the Likud will always remember who voted for - and who voted against - this law," they added.
Gamliel sharply criticized the ministers and Knesset members who discuss the Ulpana neighborhood, but have never visited it.
"How can Minister Benny Begin or Ehud Barak speak? How can I find a solution, but all about the neighborhood without ever being in it?"she asked.
"I met wonderful people here," she said. "There is no doubt that the state cannot do injustice to a community which has lived here for years in good faith. We must find a solution that will keep the residents in their homes."
Gamliel added that the matter was decisively on the government's shoulders, saying their was no reason to blame the court for the problem.
"The Prime Minister is determined to find a solution, and is working very hard to satisfy both the government policy to save the community and the court order," she said. "It a question of public will."
"I hope we will not have to resort to legislation to keep the neighborhood here. However, if we do, I believe that everyone should have the freedom to vote as they see fit," she said.
Netanyahu is said to be considering moving the five threatened buildings – large multi-dwelling structures build on the side of a steep hill – several dozen meters, thereby placing them on state owned land.
Critics say such a move is not only extremely expensive and technically difficult, but absurd from the outset, as it does not solve the same potential problem faced by other communities in Judea and Samaria (Yehuda and Shomron), built not only in good faith – but with government assistance.
Comment on this story
by Gabe Kahn
MK Gila Gamliel (Likud) on Monday became the latest lawmaker to visit Beit El's threatened Ulpana neighborhood.
Gamliel, who serves as a deputy minister for women's issues and children's welfare attached to the Prime Minister's Office, said "repeating demolitions and evictions is no solution."
She also said she would demand government ministers be allowed to vote their conscience should legislation seeking to legalize the neighborhood be brought to a vote.
Last week, MK Yaakov Katz (National Union) withdrew just such a law at the end of a stormy debate when Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that the government would not oppose the bill if he introduces it two weeks from now – the period in which Netanyahu Minister hopes to find an administrative solution to the problem posed by the court order.
Had Katz insisted on pushing his law to a vote, Netanyahu would have ordered his ministers and party to vote against it, thereby ensuring it did not pass. Katz's law was one of two laws Netanyahu blocked during the session.
Netanyahu has been under intense pressure from coalition leaders and Likud lawmakers to allow ministers and coalition MKs to vote freely on the bill. The Knesset Land of Israel lobby can command 40 Knesset votes, in addition to the votes of sympathetic ministers and lawmakers (who are not formally members of the lobby).
It is widely believed the bill will easily pass if Netanyahu does not oppose the bill, or seek to enforce government and party discipline against it.
Gamliel, whose tour of the Ulpana was guided by Katz, heard from residents and about the difficulties they have encountered in recent months. One of the residents, who sits on the Likud central committee, told her, "The residents here feel like they are pawns in a government chess game."
"I tell you that the members of the Likud will always remember who voted for - and who voted against - this law," they added.
Gamliel sharply criticized the ministers and Knesset members who discuss the Ulpana neighborhood, but have never visited it.
"How can Minister Benny Begin or Ehud Barak speak? How can I find a solution, but all about the neighborhood without ever being in it?"she asked.
"I met wonderful people here," she said. "There is no doubt that the state cannot do injustice to a community which has lived here for years in good faith. We must find a solution that will keep the residents in their homes."
Gamliel added that the matter was decisively on the government's shoulders, saying their was no reason to blame the court for the problem.
"The Prime Minister is determined to find a solution, and is working very hard to satisfy both the government policy to save the community and the court order," she said. "It a question of public will."
"I hope we will not have to resort to legislation to keep the neighborhood here. However, if we do, I believe that everyone should have the freedom to vote as they see fit," she said.
Netanyahu is said to be considering moving the five threatened buildings – large multi-dwelling structures build on the side of a steep hill – several dozen meters, thereby placing them on state owned land.
Critics say such a move is not only extremely expensive and technically difficult, but absurd from the outset, as it does not solve the same potential problem faced by other communities in Judea and Samaria (Yehuda and Shomron), built not only in good faith – but with government assistance.
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