Cyber Incident Victim: Channel 2
Date:
Nov 2016
Location:
Israel
Summary
Two Israeli news channels experienced a broadcast intrusion during evening programming, with attackers replacing regular content with a 30-second clip featuring Muslim holy sites, Quranic scriptures, and the Islamic call to prayer (Adhan) accompanied by Hebrew messages including "God is the greatest" and references to divine punishment and wildfires. The incident occurred as parliament prepared to vote on a controversial bill seeking to ban amplified Adhan recitations, legislation criticized by Muslim communities. One affected channel confirmed the hack via social media, noting the interruption included religious imagery and audio before normal operations resumed. The hack's timing and content appeared linked to both the pending noise-pollution legislation and recent wildfires that had displaced residents.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actor | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 actor | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On November 29, 2016, during evening programming, Israeli television channels Channel 2 and Channel 10 experienced unauthorized intrusions into their broadcast systems. Attackers interrupted regular transmissions for approximately 30 seconds, replacing scheduled content with imagery of Islamic holy sites accompanied by the Muslim call to prayer (Adhan). Simultaneously, Hebrew text messages appeared on screen translating to phrases including "God is the greatest," "God’s punishment," and "the fire that inflames the heart." The intrusion occurred on the eve of a Knesset preliminary vote regarding legislation proposed by the Jewish Home party that sought to ban amplified Adhan broadcasts in Israel, particularly targeting early morning and nighttime calls. Technical details about the intrusion vector remain unspecified in available reporting. Channel 2 publicly confirmed the incident via Twitter, acknowledging hackers had compromised their news program. The attackers’ on-screen references to fire appeared connected to contemporaneous wildfires that had necessitated mass evacuations in Israel, which some officials had characterized as unusually difficult to contain.
The incident generated immediate public attention due to its political timing and symbolic content. While the broadcast interruption was brief, it occurred during peak viewership hours preceding a contentious legislative debate about religious expression. The proposed bill specifically targeted mosque loudspeakers used for Adhan broadcasts while exempting Jewish Sabbath sirens through a prior amendment. No group claimed responsibility, though reporting suggested suspicion of Muslim-affiliated hackers opposing the legislation. The hack’s primary operational impact was temporary disruption of broadcast continuity, with no reports of persistent system compromise or additional service interruptions. Secondary consequences included heightened public debate regarding both the proposed prayer restrictions and the security of national media infrastructure. The incident underscored existing societal tensions surrounding religious practice, legislative priorities, and regional conflict dynamics, though available sources do not indicate subsequent cyber incidents directly linked to this event or alterations to the legislative timeline following the intrusion.