Israeli police extensively used NSO’s Pegasus surveillance software, economics newspaper reveals calcalist, Monday, February 7. Many of these alleged wiretaps, which have not been authorized by the courts, appear to be linked to the investigation which led to the indictment of the former Prime Minister, Benyamin Netanyahu, for fraud, corruption and breach of trust. They threaten to disrupt his trial, underway since spring 2021, while Mr. Netanyahu denounces “a black day for Israel”.
However, these revelations go beyond the case of Mr. Netanyahu: they attest the use without clear regulation of an invasive technology by the police since 2015, in the context of judicial investigations as well as the maintenance of order in the face of demonstrations.
Due to its diversity, the list of targets put forward by calcalist gives a feeling of vertigo. Included is a phone number registered to Mr. Netanyahu’s son, Avner, which may have been used by his mother, Sara Netanyahu. That of the wife of media mogul Shaul Elovitch, Iris, also in the dock at the trial of the former prime minister. Two press advisers to Mr. Netanyahu, officials of the news site Wallah and the boss of the telecommunications company Bezeq, as well as her deputy. But also a union boss, the founder of the supermarket chain Rami Levy, the mayors of Netanya, Holon and Kiryat-Ata, as well as former directors general of the ministries of justice, transport, treasury and communications.
“Make sure there are no surprises”
In this last institution, two ex-directors would have been heard, including Shlomo Filber, one of the key witnesses for the prosecution in the trial of Mr. Netanyahu. His hearing is supposed start next week. These detailed revelations, in support of which calcalist does not cite any of its sources, elaborate on an initial article published in January, which accused the Israeli police of having used the spyware against Israeli citizens, without a judicial warrant.
Since then, the police have multiplied denials, before admitting last week to using computer spy technologies “without warrant”. On Monday, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett promised ” answer “. The Minister of Public Security, in charge of the police, immediately announced the formation of a government commission of inquiry, led by a retired judge.
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