The operation to hide Steven Sotloff's Jewish and Israeli background online
150 friends and acquaintances scanned the web for any mention of his roots and had it removed; Sotloff family mourns, challenges ISIS leader to a debate on the peaceful teachings of the Koran.
Dozens of friends and acquaintances of journalist Steven Sotloff, who was executed by ISIS, worked together over the past year to remove any mention of his Israeli citizenship and Jewish roots in an attempt to save his life.
The worldwide network of friends included over 150 members, speaking 20 different languages, who scanned every post Steven has made on Facebook or Twitter and removed any mentions of his Israeli or Jewish connections.
The operation to save Steven started shortly after his kidnapping in Syria in August 2013 after he drove across the border from Turkey. Among other things, articles he wrote for the Jerusalem Report and other magazines have been deleted, and any details of his identity on the web have "disappeared" - this to protect the journalist from his kidnappers, due to the concern his Israeli and Jewish roots could make his conditions in captivity even worse.
Ther Islamic State, which has captured territory in Syria and Iraq, released a video on Tuesday of Sotloff being beheaded. US officials confirmed its authenticity on Wednesday. President Barack Obama vowed to "degrade and destroy" the group.
After ISIS released the video of Sotloff's beheading, the details of this wide-reaching operation to hide his full identity were finally revealed.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4567458,00.html
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