Tel Aviv, Israel – Israeli army chief of staff Eyal Zamir has ordered the withdrawal of Chinese-made cars from officers, due to growing concerns
about the potential leakage of sensitive security information.
Or using vehicles in cyber espionage activities.
The Hebrew newspaper “Israel Hayom” stated that the decision includes cars of the “Chery” model.
Which were distributed to married officers and those with large families because it contained seven seats.
Towed approximately 700 vehicles
According to the newspaper, the army intends to withdraw about 700 vehicles from military service in the coming period.
She added that the decision will be implemented in stages,
starting with withdrawing cars from officers working in sensitive
locations or those connected to classified information.
The full withdrawal is to be completed by the first quarter of 2026.
The newspaper quoted security sources as saying
that some Chinese cars are equipped with smart systems including cameras.
Microphones and communication sensors are sometimes
linked to external servers without the users’ knowledge.
This makes them vulnerable to exploitation in gathering intelligence
from within or around military installations.
A computer connected to the outside world
A former Israeli army officer said, “The problem is not just the cameras,
In fact, every smart car is essentially a computer connected to the outside world.
It can easily be turned into a data collection tool without the owner’s knowledge.”
The Israeli decision comes amid a growing global trend to restrict
the use of Chinese cars in sensitive institutions.
Following similar steps taken by the United States and Britain
This is to prevent these vehicles from entering military and security areas.
