Bird's eye view of Israel's nuclear reactor
When Google Earth first came along, the company went to some lengths to address the security concerns and restrictions in various countries, including Israel, where images of this nation were often blurry and you couldn't zoom in to find your house in Jerusalem.
Well, good-bye to all that.
"Sensitive installations, Air Force bases with their planes and helicopters, missile bases and even the nuclear reactor in Dimona have never been photographed better," writes Yuval Dror in today's Yedioth Ahronoth. "A recent Google Earth update shows satellite pictures that make it possible to see clear, sharp pictures of military and civilian targets all across Israel."
"Up until recently, the satellite pictures of Israel on Google Earth had a particularly low resolution: every pixel was equal to 10-20 meters. Now, the satellite maps of Israel show great parts of the country with a resolution close to two meters per pixel.
"American law prohibits showing satellite pictures of the State of Israel with a resolution higher than two meters per pixel, but Google argues they are not breaking the law."
The images are pretty remarkable. You can check out a very detailed shot of Israel's not-so-secret nuclear reactor in Dimona (along with other Israeli military sites) over here courtesy of Charles Levinson at Conflict Blotter.
Yedioth Ahronoth basically accuses Google of aiding and abetting terrorists, Iran and others trying to destroy Israel.
"We feel like we’re dressed, but in fact we’re not," the paper's Alex Fishman writes. "We are transparent. The State of Israel, with its sensitive installations, has lost another scarf veiling its charms. If up until now we were undressed only by the superpower satellites, then now, with the improvement in the quality of satellite images from Google Earth, Israel’s most secret spots are becoming visible not only to any ephemeral intelligence organization...
"From now on, when an Islamic Jihad militant is sent to collect information about a sensitive target in Israel, his dispatchers can give him the coordinate to insert in Google Earth on his laptop
"Up until now, to guide a terrorist or an agent with any level of accuracy, it was necessary to collect information, and this wasn’t always easy. Today this information is freely available to all. Go get satellite pictures and take a walk through the State of Israel’s secret installations.
"Locating sensitive strategic and security installations in Israel is a central goal for such countries as Iran and Syria. The ability of Arab states to collect information is fairly limited, mainly with regard to collecting military intelligence using sophisticated technology. Up until now these countries had to rely on superpowers or on commercial companies, which usually sold them low resolution images. This, incidentally, explains the great advantage Israel had against the enemy when it built its own independent ability to launch espionage satellites.
"But now, with this striptease, it is easier for Arab countries to find the places they are interested in and to mark for themselves exactly what they want to find there. And when such a site is seen by the eyes of an expert, who knows exactly what he is looking for in a sensitive installation, sometimes it is enough to have the level of resolution provided by the Internet to confirm or rule out the existence of this or that installation or this or that capability attributed to Israel. If Google Earth is capable of providing a picture of a sensitive bunker or of a missile pit, then basically it is providing the coordinate for a very accurate ballistic missile strike.
"If this program is an asset for enemy countries
"This transparency, which will only increase, creates a major problem for the entire world. In the 1960s and 70s, when the US felt threatened by the Soviet espionage satellites, it invested USD 15 billion to conceal its ballistic missile array deep underground. That is not a solution that Israel should, or can adopt. Moreover, it is reasonable to assume that in the not so distant future, it will be possible to buy satellite photographs that provide pictures of thermal emissions
"There is nothing to do but to internalize the fact that we have become transparent."
Israel is a nation of open secrets. But it does everything it can to keep them, as former Israeli nuclear engineer Mordechai Vanunu well knows after spending 18 years in an Israeli prison for treason after revealing Dimona's secrets in the British press.
Even now, Israeli government censors are preventing Israeli reporters from writing many details about last month's Israeli strike on Syria, even though everyone from Syrian President Assad to Israeli opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu have spoken publicly about it.
How dangerous is this really for Israel? It certainly doesn't make security easier. Maybe Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza are right now huddled around a lap-top loading Google Earth and planning their next strike. Just about the only thing they have to fire are the low-power, unguided Qassam rockets. And one suspects that nations like Iran and Syria, if they plan to attack Israel, are going to rely on something more than Google Earth to stage a strike.
It is very interesting to me how Israel who has bu the way been found spying on the U.S. is worried about satellite images form the internet. Let's remember the so called Zionist Terrorists who blew up the King David Hotel killing innocent people. Now it seems the shoe is on the other foot! You can talk all you like about how much of a victim Israel is to historically and selectively ignorant people, but there are those of us who know the truth about how a small group of Zionists wanted power and not just a place they could live in peace with thier neighbors. People were disenfranchised by the creation of a artificial state that caused all the trouble still happening today! There is and old saying: " No justice, no peace"! Know justice, Know peace! I'll be waiting for the predictable response of calling me an antiSemite! Tghe U.S and Israel have a disproportionate influence in the middle east and not interested in peace! It is amazing how we don't remember Dag Hamersjold!
Posted by: Giuliano De Palma | October 05, 2007 at 03:41 PM
For the past 40s years I have set here and listern to all this talk about the Jews, Blacks etc but it seen to me that the peoples with the power are the one who want the others to bow down to then if they peace then then they should stop teaching the child that all Jews,Blacks are monkey, that where you you need to begin from your mouth to your heart.
Posted by: SH2855 | October 06, 2007 at 09:03 AM
Just great! Anything that helps level the playing field against monster-country Israel is an incentive to serious efforts to negotiate a just solution for the Palestinian victims of Israel.
Posted by: TimothyL | October 06, 2007 at 05:22 PM
Just great! Anything that helps level the playing field against monster-country Israel is an incentive to serious efforts to negotiate a just solution for the Palestinian victims of Israel.
Posted by: TimothyL | October 06, 2007 at 05:22 PM
Just great! Anything that helps level the playing field against monster-country Israel is an incentive to serious efforts to negotiate a just solution for the Palestinian victims of Israel.
Posted by: TimothyL | October 06, 2007 at 05:22 PM
What is the deal with the comments on this blog? There's plenty of blame to go around in the Israel-Palestine conflict, but you guys really lack nuance. "artificial" as opposed to what? surely Palestine or Italy or any other country aren't natural. "monster-country"? compared to what--China, Iran or the US? C'mon.
Posted by: Bonedactor | October 07, 2007 at 01:01 AM
I just left this message for Charles Levinson on his blogsite..Since you appear to be reporting to the very same payroll officer as him...I will leave you a copy..Do you normally work in twos.
To Levinson,
Plant now and hope to God that Ajad has no plans for an early breakfast next year.
The planting of information here is so visibly and amateurish that it gives Hamas second thoughts of NOT invading Israel
Type in "Dimona,Israel" and THEY WILL SEND YOU to a place that looks like a garbage dump for Gazian spent rockets or an Artillery practice ground...NOT to the picture you have published
This is the third different place in 27 months that Google has sent people to...There was NEVER ANY LOW RESOLUTION ON ANY of those trips to the sites..They were perfectly clear...with no cloud covering whatsoever.
Prior to you passing your opinion on such stories/paid for feedlines ..whatever ...suggest you spend some time checking the facts...
Do you honestly think that if an enemy of Israel wanted to perform some operational mischief,,,they would rely on "Google"...That is how you and others have the Israeli people shaking in their socks with fearmongering from blogs and editorials
Dimona ..23 Aug 2005
LAT....... 31° 4' 27.74" N
LONG.. 35° 2' 0.51.0"E
Dimona ..2 Jan 2007
LAT........31° 00' 11 26" N
LONG....35° 08' 49 57" E
Dimona above ..7 Oct 2007
LAT....... 31° 5' 42.00" N
LONG.. 34° 56' 54.24" E
Difference in distances between the sites given by Israeli's to the Google 'mappists is 70 thousand feet or 13.4 miles...and not one looks anything like a "Nookler" Site..
The Israelis are the illusionists remember..and you are acting the part.........No Oscar this year apparently
From your image posted recently(above) and my image of 23 Aug 2005, visually there is NO DIFFERENCE...The very few vehicles have not moved an inch and the other details....vegetation and shadows are PRECISELY OF THE SAME tone and texture...THEY ARE THE VERY SAME IMAGE
Move west of the site and at about 6-7 miles and you will see a little white cloud ...That was there 21/2 years ago
Why are you deliberately lying..Who pays you for this misinformation..Is it worth it..
Your Headlines are Telling Lies and the sad part is that YOU KNOW IT
Why the reference to Palmahim Base way below TelAviv...Naming Ashdod and not Sorek or Yayne seems a little odd...if you get the point.
I will not even attempt to look at your sidebar as I can expect the very same ..You referrers will be notified by email
From a discusted blogger
Posted by: Caradoc | October 07, 2007 at 04:49 AM
Dion Nissenbaum..You should be ashamed..Ashamed to have enough chutzpa to lie through your teeth without getting toothache..
We fully understand what you and the Zionists are attempting to do with the Israeli people...Many will not stand idly by and do nothing..
Posted by: Ariel | October 07, 2007 at 05:01 AM