Israeli spies banned from biometric ID cards, passports
Israel's main security and intelligence agencies have banned their employees from taking part in a new country-wide biometric identity card trial, along with officers in sensitive units of the country's armed forces.
The Mossad and Shin Bet agencies both opposed establishing the database in 2010, fearing it would lead to dangerous leaks of identities, causing long lasting damage to both intelligence agencies, according to news outlet Haaretz.
The agencies have now actively banned their employees from participating in the trial, according to the report. The new biometric database - implemented by the government and open to all Israeli citizens - is built using an older Population Registry. The registry was leaked onto the Internet in 2006 by a government contractor, revealing the details of some nine million Israelis.
