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They are less sneaky and have less reach than Google and Facebook - but are comparable (they provide some value to users, but mostly to advertisers at the expen
by beagle3 6y ago
They are less sneaky and have less reach than Google and Facebook - but are comparable (they provide some value to users, but mostly to advertisers at the expense of users - and they keep most of that value for themselves. On a smaller scale)
Why do you expect them (or Israelis in general) to decide that’s not the right thing to do? Do you expect the same of Google or Facebook? Or Americans for that matter?
- threatofrain 6y ago> “Most Israelis think that intelligence is pure and slick,” he says. He came to see IDF intelligence as blunt, dirty work. “Old school things,” he says. Like blackmailing gay Palestinians, he explains. Or threatening to cut off medical care from people with health problems. Or threatening the families of people with health problems. But when it comes to criticism of 8200, K. is an anomaly among his peers. Many are more like Raphael Ouzan — true believers.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- dagav 6y agoLiterally every intelligence service does this, they're called "assets"[1]. Right and wrong isn't as black and white as you may think. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asset_(intelligence) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asset_(intelligence)
- pboutros 6y agoI think blackmailing someone in the closet is almost always wrong -- I'm sure there's some contrived edge case that could be thought of, but as a whole, it's never okay. Just because most / all intelligence agencies do something doesn't mean it's okay. It's unambiguously wrong.
- dagav 6y agoThere is a moral obligation to blackmail people who have material information about an imminent terror attack, or anything else which may threaten innocent lives. If I were you, I'd be much more concerned about why being exposed as gay in the Palestinian Territories is a threat capable of flipping an asset.
- solosoyokaze 6y agoThere is no moral high-ground for Israel. They are the colonizing force and they're committing war crimes and illegal annexing of Palestinian land. They're also blackmailing people for being gay as per the article.
- dagav 6y agoIf the Israelis laid down their arms, there would be a second Holocaust. If the Arabs laid down their arms, there would be peace. I call that moral high ground.
- marshmallow_12 6y agoMy old friend. They are blackmailing people.
- z2210558 6y agoWho's talking about "imminent terror attacks"? Do you think that is the majority of intelligence work? Do you need it to be to justify blackmail?
- dagav 6y agoIsraeli intelligence is working around the clock to disrupt the actions of terrorist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. There are countless terror factions who's sole purpose is to destroy Israel and execute a second Holocaust. You don't hear about the terror plans which were foiled. You don't have sympathy for Israel because they are winning.
- diebeforei485 6y agoOther intelligence services do not do this to people they have subjugated. It is roughly equivalent to if the CIA did this to Black Americans pre-1965.
- selimthegrim 6y agoBayard Rustin (who was pro-Israel btw) would like a word
- joelbluminator 6y agoI was in 8200 and this sounds like rubbish to me. unit 8200 doesn't directly deal with human intelligence: they don't contact Palestinians/threaten them. This stuff is done, don't get me wrong, but that's the Shabak's doing. Shabak has way more tools to gather this kinds of info (vast network of snitches, really good Arabic experts etc) and can also use this info since Shabak deals with Palestinians directly. BTW the cooperation between army intelligence and Shabak is shit, at least that's how it was in my days. So I doubt any data about gays is passed from 8200 to Shabak. I call bullshit, sorry.
- tw04 6y ago>Why do you expect them (or Israelis in general) to decide that’s not the right thing to do? Do you expect the same of Google or Facebook? Or Americans for that matter? Google and Facebook are hacking journalist's phones and selling access to dictators for the purpose of planning an execution? Citation?
- beagle3 6y agoGP was talking about Outbrain and Taboola who are not as far as I know hacking anyone’s emails. That was what I was responding to.