Israel's secret service web site goes multilingual

IT’S NO SECRET THAT Israel’s secret service has been trying to solve its recruiting problems recently by attempting to lure cadets with racy descriptions of the “thrilling” lifestyle they can expect, as detailed in ‘real live’ agents’ online blogs.

Of course, up until now, those blogs were only available in Hebrew, but as of today, some five months after the Hebrew site was launched, Israel's domestic intelligence agency, the Shin Beth, will be sharing its exploits in English and Arabic too.

The site’s purported purpose is to fill the public in on the agency’s history as well as being a good place to scare people with information about terrorist activity against Israel, according to an anonymous Shin Beth official, codenamed X (by INQ staff). But we reckon (based on our in depth understanding of the ways of the Middle East) that the only reason the agency has launched a website in Arabic is to scare the living daylights out of potential terrorists and the main reason for the English site is so that macho security types will have extra leverage in chatting up foreign girls.

The Hebrew site has already proved itself quite popular, racking up an average of about 5000 hits a day, although Shin Beth chief, Yuval Diskin, is quick to point out that "extensive areas of ISA activity are confidential". Funny that. µ

L’Inq
Shin Beth (English)

Shin Beth (Arabic)