Israel Ramps Up Scrutiny Of Police As NSO Scandal Spreads

Israel announced a national investigation into the police as evidence was found of illicit use of the spyware Pegasus, made by the NSO Group, an Israeli cyberarms firm, against confidants of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other public figures. This comes during a lengthy corruption trial of Mr. Netanyahu over charges of fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes in three separate cases. The evidence has caused a brief delay in the trial, with some of his allies asking for a total removal of the case. The increased scrutiny reflects the rising concerns about the use of spyware abroad and the threat it poses to personal security and democracy: this fear now exists within Israel as well. 

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who succeeded Mr. Netanyahu last June, said spyware products like Pegasus “are important tools in the fight against terrorism and severe crime, but they were not intended to be used in phishing campaigns targeting the Israeli public or officials — which is why we need to understand exactly what happened,” while the minister of public security, Omer Barlev, who oversees the police, said he would open an official inquiry. 

Spying on a country’s own citizens should not be condoned as it is a threat to personal security, privacy, and democracy because it attacks individual rights. It is crucial that the police involved should face consequences because they abused their power. In the past, only foreign powers have been concerned about Israeli spyware and the impact it has on their country, but now that there is an uproar domestically, perhaps change could be made. These unfortunate spying situations allow for us to question whether governments should so freely use spyware against others. I understand that in some situations it can be crucial, especially when it is used to benefit civilians and to ensure safety, however it crosses a moral line to spy on civilians without a court order. 

The Israeli news outlet Calcalist reported the above, sparking an uproar. Calcalist began reporting claims that the police used NSO’s flagship product, Pegasus, to gather information from the cellphones of human rights activists, journalists, and other figures. Some had connections to the former Prime Minister Netanyahu, causing the brief delay in his trial which was to allow prosecutors to address the claims. In the past, domestic scrutiny has largely been avoided because there was never a concern for Israeli citizens and their safety. Usually, powerful spyware like this was only used by authoritarian governments to spy on their political opponents, however, there is now a domestic angle to the issue. Critics from abroad have been concerned about the products by NSO and the threat it has on their democracy, a sentiment which is now understood by Israelis. 

A newspaper reported allegations that Israeli police used spyware made by NSO to spy on its citizens without a court order. The people spied on were connected to former Prime Minister Netanyahu, who is facing trial right now over charges of fraud, and the news caused a slight delay in his trial but they have continued since. This news raised concerns domestically about the threat spyware has on individual rights and democracy, which until recently was only a concern shared by foreign governments about Israel.

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