Milan Czerny

Articles

milan@shomrim.news

@milanczerny

Revealed: How Israel’s Radical Right Bypasses U.S. Sanctions

Since the beginning of the year, the United States and other countries have adopted a tough stance, imposing sanctions on Israeli individuals suspected of being connected to settler violence and far-right organizations. Shomrim uncovers the tactics used to evade these sanctions – from cash-only donations and funneling money through relatives to creating buffers between potential donors and sanctioned individuals. A Shomrim investigation, also published in Calcalist, delves into these practices.

August 15, 2024

The Quiet Wave: ‘What’s Happening Now in Russia Is Like a Plague – With Real Fascists’

Over the past two and a half years, around 85,000 Russians have fled to Israel to escape the Putin regime. Back home, they were artists, academics, journalists, and activists. In Israel, they are seeking a fresh start, coping with poverty, and trying to learn Hebrew – despite a shortage of ulpan teachers. They won’t even consider returning to Russia: “I couldn’t breathe there.” Shomrim takes a look at the largest wave of aliyah you’ve never heard of.

July 18, 2024

The Chaos Machine: American Jews in the Kremlin’s Crosshairs

The fake news campaign against Israel is heating up: After fake articles from Israeli websites like Walla and Mako, groups with links to Russia are now targeting Jews in the United States with fake versions of popular news sites, in an effort to undermine Biden, cause friction between Israel and Ukraine and spread fear. And, for the first time, AI-generated videos are being deployed on the digital battleground

June 27, 2024

Exclusive: Israel Dismissed Ukrainian Warnings About Iranian Drones and Declined Offers of Assistance

No army in the world has more experience combatting Iranian drones than that of Ukraine, which has been dealing with them for over two years. Long before October 7, just after the Netanyahu government was sworn in, the then Ukrainian defense minister offered to send a delegation to Israel to teach the IDF everything it knows about Iranian drones. ‘Unfortunately, there was no genuine response,’ he tells Shomrim. Those same drones, which are now wreaking havoc in the north, are the greatest challenge facing the IDF. A Shomrim investigation. Published also in N12

June 20, 2024

The Dual-Nationality Nightmare: Global Threats to Prosecute Israeli Soldiers

Until October 7, the prospect of Israeli politicians and senior officers facing arrest while abroad was regarded merely as an oddity. However, it has now evolved into a palpable concern for soldiers holding dual nationality. In South Africa, the Netherlands, and France dual-national IDF soldiers are threatened with legal proceedings following their involvement in the war in Gaza. A Shomrim investigation, published in conjunction with N12.

April 18, 2024

April Fool’s Night: Iranian Missiles were Shot Down, but the Fake News Ran Amok Online

The mid-April Iranian missile strike on Israel triggered a deluge of false information across social media platforms, aimed at instigating panic and unrest among Israelis. Among the fabricated content were videos sourced from Ukraine, past conflicts involving Israel and Hamas, or even footage from the Rome Metro. Some misleading posts were even created by artificial intelligence or extracted from video games. A Shomrim investigation.

April 17, 2024

Dying of Shame: They Were Jewish Enough to be Murdered, But Not to be Buried

Zhenya, Dina and their two young children were murdered on October 7, but buried outside the cemetery. Why? Because Zhenya, who served in the IDF and immigrated to Israel more than 30 years ago, wasn’t Jewish enough for the burial society. The same thing happened to 21-year-old Alina, who was murdered at the Nova music festival just a few months after completing her military service. Immigrants from the former Soviet Union are no longer willing to remain silent in the face of the discrimination and humiliation they experience in their most anguished moments. A Shomrim investigation. Also published in Ynet.

March 28, 2024

The Indonesian Front: ‘They’ve Got My Accounts, My email, My location. It’s crazy’

Since October 7th, numerous soldiers and prominent individuals have faced relentless assaults, intimidations, and disturbances subsequent to being exposed online and having their private information divulged. Shomrim delves into the operational mechanisms: Spanning from small factions on Telegram and compromised databases to expansive anti-Israel organizations boasting thousands of members in Indonesia – some even making efforts to grasp Hebrew in order to comprehend what they term as the 'Zionist mentality.'

March 7, 2024

The Crazier, The Better: How Fake News Spreads from Tiny Telegram Groups to the Israeli Mainstream

‘The Shin Bet tried to topple Bibi,’ ‘Shikma Bressler’s husband spoke to Sinwar’ and ‘Yair Golan knew about October 7 in advance.’ Hard as it is to believe, the fake news, conspiracy theories and spin that drive Israelis to distraction start life on Telegram channels with barely any subscribers, which were set up to promote a single issue – like anti vaxxers, deep state and poisoned water. From there, the palpable falsehoods go through two more stations – medium-sized platforms and then larger groups, usually identified with a right-wing agenda.Then, they reach politicians and public figures, who amplify them to their hundreds of thousands of followers. The people behind these fake reports don’t care about harming the national interest or officials. For them, the wilder a claim is, the further it spreads. A Shomrim investigation

February 5, 2024

Iran's Cyber Onslaught: From Data Heist to Digital Warfare in Israel

It appears that on October 7 Israel was not only unprepared at the border of Gaza but also on the cyber front. Since the attack, multiple Iran-affiliated hacker groups infiltrated and are sharing on the dark web and hacker forums available to all, multiple leaked databases containing thousands of highly sensitive files regarding Israeli soldiers, civilians, and companies. An in-depth analysis of the ongoing crisis, from hospital breaches to governmental cyber warfare – navigating the fallout and implications for Israel's cybersecurity landscape

January 21, 2024

Putin’s No Longer a Friend: Inside Russia’s Fake News Campaigns and Cyberattacks

Russia, under the leadership of President Putin, extended its actions beyond mere statements and diplomatic efforts directed at Israel. Starting from October 7, hackers associated with the Kremlin targeted and successfully disrupted Israeli websites and applications. Their attacks ranged from missile alert apps to government-owned sites, banks, and even the Shin Bet. Concurrently, Russian entities initiated a disinformation campaign, disseminating substantial volumes of fabricated and anti-Israel news globally. A Shomrim investigation. Published also on N12

December 17, 2023

How Israel Failed to Halt Hamas’ Cryptocurrency Fundraising

Merely half a year ago, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant proudly highlighted Israel's vigorous campaign against cryptocurrency fundraising by Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah. However, an examination of the digital wallet transactions used for fundraising by these terror groups reveals that Israel was considerably behind in addressing the issue. In certain instances, action was taken only after October 7, by which point the majority of the funds had already been withdrawn. This investigation in also published in ynetnews.com

November 9, 2023

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