Pro-Palestinian site publishes what it says are 100 Israeli pilots’ names and ID details

A pro-Palestinian website has published what it says are the names of and information about 100 Israeli Air Force pilots, and says it may be possible to use the data to bring them to justice for alleged war crimes.

News of the publication of the purported pilots’ names, birth dates, ranks and ID numbers was prominently reported in Israel on Thursday evening, making the lead story on the Channel 10 nightly news.

The organization describes itself as supporting “in particular” the right of Palestinians to “unfettered access to all of Palestine.” It is currently raising funds for a new flotilla to break Israel’s sea blockade of Gaza.

The site said it had received the data from an anonymous source. It said the data came with a statement that “alleges that the below-named individuals are active duty Israeli Air Force pilots that have apparently participated in war crimes. A web search provides some corroboration of the data and until now we have found no discrepancies.”

Israeli censorship laws prohibits the publication of the names and faces of soldiers and officers who fill sensitive combat positions, including pilots, so as to protect their personal security.

The site recommended that its readers use the data to “gather more information, possibly including questioning and potential prosecution of the named individuals when they travel abroad.”

The site’s co-founder told The Times of Israel on Thursday that his organization did not have any specific objective in mind when it published the material. It was meant for “informational purposes only” so others can take action against the pilots.

When asked whether his organization was concerned that publishing the material could place pilots’ lives at risk, the organization’s representative responded that Israeli pilots “assume risk” by being in the military and that publishing their names and photos was “protecting a lot of people.”

In the statement published on the site, the ostensible source of the data leak stated that “the well-being of Israel is temporary and can be undermined. It is obtained through crushing the liberties of its subjects.”

The statement charged that the pilots whose data it released “have chosen to harness their skills in the spreading of mass destruction over towns and villages throughout Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon,” and that the information should be spread “as widely as possible.”

The IDF Spokesperson’s unit said that the list was “factually incorrect,” but was nonetheless “yet another attempt by anti-Israel bodies to undermine Israel’s right to self-defense.”

The IDF did not comment as to whether it intends to take legal or any other kind of action against the site.

The California-based organization describes itself as an NGO “accredited” to the United Nations and a non-violent organization whose objective is “to challenge Israeli policies and actions that deny Palestinians their human rights, and in particular the right of unfettered access to all of Palestine.”