The Cyber Directorate cautioned that the stolen data could be exploited for fraud, identity theft, or other malicious activity.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Dozens of Israeli actors have been caught up in a phishing attack traced to Iranian-linked sources, according to Israel’s National Cyber Directorate.

The attackers posed as film producers, luring performers with what appeared to be legitimate casting calls for a movie about Hamas’s October 7 massacre.

The Directorate reported that the hackers compromised an email account and used it to distribute fraudulent audition requests.

The messages, claiming to represent a well-known director, instructed recipients to provide personal details, home addresses, scanned copies of ID cards and passports, and recorded audition clips.

Officials confirmed that many actors complied, sending sensitive materials in response. Soon after, some victims began receiving threatening follow-up messages attributed to Iran-backed actors, escalating concerns that the scheme was not only about data theft but also psychological intimidation.

One actress told Ynet that she received an email purporting to be from director Ari Folman, inviting her to audition for a film about October 7.

She said the message asked her to film a short video explaining her suitability for the role and attach personal documents.

The Cyber Directorate cautioned that the stolen data could be exploited for fraud, identity theft, or other malicious activity.

Officials advised victims to immediately replace their ID cards and passports through the Population and Immigration Authority, update and strengthen passwords across all online services, and enable two-factor authentication.

They further recommended alerting banks and credit card companies and keeping a close watch on financial accounts for irregular transactions.

Authorities stressed that anyone receiving similar suspicious invitations should not share personal information and should report the messages through the National Cyber Directorate’s hotline or website.

The incident highlights ongoing Iranian cyber efforts to target Israelis, adding to a series of attempts uncovered in recent months. Security experts warn that beyond the risk of financial exploitation, such campaigns are designed to sow fear and erode public trust.

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The large number of Israelis in the cast was a conscious choice by director DJ Caruso to make the film more historically authentic. 

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Outrage has erupted on social media following the release of a trailer for a Netflix film featuring the mother of a Jesus played by an Israeli actress.

Despite historical records establishing that Mary, Jesus’ mother was Jewish, many on social media are upset that a Palestinian woman wasn’t cast in the role.

The film Mary, directed by DJ Caruso, stars 21-year-old Israeli actress Noa Cohenin as Mary and 22-year-old Israeli actor Ido Tako as Joseph. It will be released on Netflix on December 6.

In fact, the large number of Israelis in the cast, which also includes Ori Pfeffer, Mili Avital, Keren Tzur, and Hilla Vidor, was a conscious choice by director DJ Caruso to make the film more historically authentic.

Caruso emphasized it was “important to us that Mary, along with most of our primary cast, be selected from Israel to ensure authenticity.”

Reacting to the trailer, posters resorted to blatant antisemitism with posts like, “This is a joke and a slap in the face to all Christians. How dare you let that disgusting jew play Mary.”

Another poster wrote, “There is something deeply blasphemous about casting an Israeli to play the role of Mary, the mother of Jesus, while Israel is carrying out a genocide against Palestinians, killing some of the oldest Christian populations in the area and destroying their heritage sites.”

Someone else mistakenly assumed that the actors were “white Europeans,” which would presumably be a non-starter.

“The actors in the show are both Ashkenazi Israeli Jews, and white Europeans. The closest people to Mary’s race are Palestinians. Middle Easterners always get whitewashed, blackwashed or indianwashed,” they wrote.

The movie deals with society’s rejection of Mary, an unwed mother, and her brave struggle for survival under Herod’s decree, leading her to go into hiding with Joseph.

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