The State Is a Privacy Hazard
Finally. The first of the Agron leakers, Beit Shemesh resident Shalom Bilik was indicted… Wow, it took State Prosecution no longer than 11 years! This is what the Torah calls Innuy Hadin (a non-Speedy Trial).
Note well what is happening here behind the veil of hollow journalistic drivel. The state procures and hoards our most private details without our permission on a central database (not to mention actual spying by NSA-like units, including against Jews), all for our “benefit” and “security”, of course.
Here’s a riddle: What is the dictionary definition of “Invasion of Privacy” or “Maintaining an Unlawful Database”? Answer: When one does so not under state auspices!
Then, Surprise!, private individuals use this information for bad. Had these details been securely kept and dispersed among private, law-abiding companies, subject to market discipline; had the state not coercively gathered these records to one place, could anyone have caused such harm to innocent Jews?
It’s just a matter of time before the same thing happens to even more sensitive records, such as the Biometric Database. Most of the world understands how dangerous and irreversible, how easy incriminating the innocent becomes, how hard it will be reverse harmful effects. Except for Israel. The Biometric Database is hated and scorned by most of those living here, but this hardly interests our rulers.
And instead of serious punishments, and compensating the victims, this Shalom Bilik person is thrown into jail and pays a fine to… the state itself. Is this what they call deterrence?! What’s to stop other DB administrators from ‘copying’ the perpetrators?
The prosecution originally aimed for only 25 months in prison, then settled on 12 months and a fine. Why? The health of the defendant and “the amount of time passed”! Circular, no?
By the way, for more serious crimes they decree prison, and for lesser crimes “Community Service”. Explain this one to me: Does it seem fair to you that one who causes greater harm repays nothing, and one who causes less harm repays the community (though imprecise)?!
And who pays for the incarceration costs of those found guilty? Always and everywhere: The victims they harmed. “Law and Order” at its finest…
This article first appeared in Hebrew.
With Heaven’s help, Yehuda Segal
From Mehadrinews, here.