Haaretz: Voter Rolls Leak Imperils National Security

The recent massive leak of personal information from the Israeli voter registry was not only a violation of privacy laws but an unprecedented breach of national security, according to a report in Haaretz on Monday.

Acquisition of the 6.5 million Israeli identities by hostile agents could create serious vulnerabilities in the nation’s defense and security establishment. Among those potentially at risk are “tens of thousands of employees of the Mossad, the Shin Bet security service, the Israel Atomic Energy Commission, the Israel Institute for Biological Research and the Israel Defense Forces – especially for pilots, intelligence personnel, special forces and nuclear scientists.”

The information could, among other things, enable Iran or Hezbollah to do cross-checking of passports, license plate numbers, personal and corporate assets and confidential medical information, leading to the identification of Israeli agents working undercover abroad, a life-threatening possibility.

Domestically, it exposed the vulnerability of the Israeli electoral system.

Elector Software, which was responsible for the software which was the source of the leaks, “is a small, obscure firm formed just before the first Israeli election 15 months ago. Its three registered directors are completely unknown to the public. Another former manager worked in the past for Likud. The company is registered in a small European city, and now its three directors have either disappeared or refuse to talk to the media,” Haaretz said, and concluded:

“When you combine all these facts, and others that haven’t been publicized – there’s almost no doubt that over the last year, a hidden hand has been meddling in Israel’s election campaigns,” it charged.

The relevant security and defense agencies refused to comment on the matter.

In response, Likud said that “Elector is an outside supplier that provides services to many parties, including Likud. All professional and legal responsibility devolves upon it. Likud is making every effort, regarding data related to it and to its voters, to secure the information and ensure its complete protection in accordance with the law and accepted standards.”