WANA (Mar 11) – In a continued wave of cyberattacks against Israeli targets, the website of the Hebrew Language Academy (the official body responsible for the use of modern Hebrew) has been taken down.

 

Upon accessing the site, both the Hebrew and English pages now redirect to a message that reads: “No need to learn Hebrew anymore. You won’t need it.” This message is accompanied by an image of “Handala,” the symbol of Palestinian resistance.

 

Handala is also the name of a hacker group that has previously infiltrated Israeli politicians’ devices and institutions. However, according to The Times of Israel, social media accounts linked to this group have not mentioned the Hebrew Academy hack, and the logo displayed on the website is slightly different from the hacker group’s usual symbol.

 

Barak Dan, the scientific secretary of the Academy, told The Times of Israel, “The revival of the Hebrew language has always been one of the core principles of Zionism. To this day, Israelis consider Hebrew to be the essence of their identity. An attempt to destroy the Hebrew language is seen as an effort to shake the very foundations of Israel.”