Israel Police Used NSO's Pegasus Spyware Against Top Gov't Officials, Journalists and Activists
According to Calcalist, Israeli police also used NSO's Pegasus to spy on businesspeople, Netanyahu's son and advisers - all without a court order ■ 'This is an earthquake,' says top minister
Israel Police used NSO's Pegasus spyware to hack the phones of public figures, including protest leaders, journalists, government employees and associates of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a report by Calcalist on Monday.
According to the report, the hacking tool was used without a court order and against Netanyahu's son, Avner Netanyahu, co-defendant in his criminal trial Iris Elovitch, leaders of disability rights protests, journalists at Walla news website, businessman Rami Levy, mayors and senior officials in the Finance Ministry.
Netanyahu's media advisers, Topaz Luk and Yonatan Urich have also been targeted, alongside Head of Workers' Union Yair Katz.
The phones of former Finance Ministry Director General Shai Babad, former Justice Ministry Director General Emi Palmor and former Transportation Ministry Director General Karen Terner were also reportedly hacked.
>> Israelis didn’t care about NSO and Pegasus – until this scandal >> Netanyahu used NSO's Pegasus for diplomacy. Now he blames it for his downfall >> ‘We don’t want these kinds of people’: NSO employees pay the price for Pegasus spyware scandal
Israel's Public Security Minister Omer Bar-Lev decided to form a government commission of inquiry to investigate the matter, amid widespread condemnation from lawmakers. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett vowed also vowed to investigate the scandal.
In January, Calcalist's Tomer Ganon published a series of articles detailing how Israel's Police used the infamous spyware against Israeli citizens for years without a warrant or court order.
After the report, Israel Police admitted misuse of the spyware. Sources in law enforcement said that the misuse occurred during the tenure of former Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich.
The Pegasus spyware allows its operators to remotely access mobile phones infected with the software.
- Pegasus Scandal Is a Massive Can of Worms About to Erupt All Over Israel’s Elites
- Israelis Didn’t Care About NSO and Pegasus – Until This Scandal
- Netanyahu Used NSO's Pegasus for Diplomacy. Now He Blames It for His Downfall
Sold to intelligence and law enforcement agencies across the world, the spyware exploits security vulnerabilities in Android and iPhone operating systems to gain access to the device's contents – from messages to photos. The program also enables to remotely activate the phone’s camera and microphone, without the victim's knowledge.
Netael Bandel contributed to this report.
Click the alert icon to follow topics:
Comments
ICYMI
He's From a Small Village in the West Bank, One of Three at His School Who Went to College
'There Are Similarities Between the Hasidic Community and Pornography’
‘RRR’: If Cocaine Were a Movie, It Would Look Like This
Yair Lapid's Journey: From Late-night Host to Israel's Prime Minister
Lake Kinneret as You’ve Never Experienced It Before
