Top Israeli intel chief embarrasses IOF, reveals identity by mistake

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Guardian
5 Apr 2024 23:14
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How did the commander of the Israeli Unit 8200 mistakingly reveal his identity and tarnish the status of Israeli military intelligence?

Illustrative photo of cadets in the Israeli Cyber Defense Unit course, June 10, 2013 (Source: Israeli occupation forces)

The Chief of the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) Unit 8200 and architect of their military's Artificial Intelligence (Aman), exposed his identity by publishing a book under a pen name.

Yossi Sariel was revealed to be the head of the specialized military intelligence unit after his identity was closely guarded to be kept secret for two decades. In an "embarrassing security lapse" Sariel, previously known as Brigadier General Y, published a book on Amazon, leaving a digital trail to his private Google account created in his name, along with his unique ID and links to the account's maps and calendar profiles, The Guardian reported.

The Military Intelligence Directorate's Unit 8200, known for its expertise in signal intelligence (SIGINT) and code decryption, counterintelligence, cyber warfare, military intelligence, and surveillance, plays a pivotal role in Israeli security and is comparable to the United States National Security Agency. The IOF exert considerable effort to maintain the secrecy of top commanders in specialized units. Thus, the recent revelation signifies a significant setback for these efforts and the broader Israeli intelligence community's operations over time.

"Visionary" behind The Human Machine Team, now an "embarrassment"

The book titled "The Human Machine Team", authored by "Brigadier Y.S", offers a radical vision for how AI can transform the relationship between military personnel and machines. Sariel provided the blueprint for the advanced AI-powered systems that the IOF have been utilizing in their sixth-month genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

Panicking, the Israeli military command said that the exposure of his details was "a mistake" and that "the issue will be examined to prevent the recurrence of similar cases in the future."

Living on borrowed time, Yossi Sariel, like other commanders of Israeli intelligence units, has been lambasted for their failure to warn against or predict the Palestinian Resistance's Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023. The Israeli general was once considered to have revolutionized the work of the Israeli occupation's military, via his vision of incorporating AI into the central activities of the occupation forces.

Now, Sariel is being lambasted for the grave mistake that led to him doxxing his own identity. Israeli media outlets have picked up on The Guardian's reports, describing it as an embarrassment for the entire Military Directorate.

Sariel's mishap follows resignation and dismissals in Aman

In a similar context, the head of Aman's Research Division, Brigadier General Amit Saar, formally handed in his resignation letter, citing personal reasons, Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom reported on Thursday morning. According to Israeli reports, Saar cited his cancer illness as the reason for his early resignation.

Brigadier General Saar is expected to officially step down in a few days after he discusses the decision with Israeli Chief-of-Staff Herzi Halevi and Aharon Ahliva, the head of Aman. According to the Israeli media outlet, the IOF will not appoint a permanent replacement but rather resort to an interim chief.

It is worth noting the IOF's chief has faced backlash from the political command for shifting and promoting officers within the occupation military structure. This also makes it hard to replace officers such as Saar and Sariel, who were among a few top-tier commanders carrying the majority of the blame for the Israeli failure on October 7.