A dirty game without punishment: The Zionist regime's security agencies systemically use spyware to hack Israelis

Increasing numbers of Israelis are concerned about their government exploiting its jurisdiction through cyber espionage.

The Israeli Internet Association asserts that security agencies have systematically violated the human rights of Israelis using cyber technology. Such agencies include the police, the military, the tax office, and the data protection agency. The report does not explicitly indicate that the security forces broke the law by employing syphon software, a modified version of Pegasus, but emphasises that eavesdropping is a crime.

According to recent research, Israel issues over 20,000 warrants yearly for eavesdropping on electronic devices, including computers and smartphones. In 2019, the number reached 24,000. In 2020, just 26 out of 3,692 requests for police warrants under the electronic surveillance law were denied. Even fewer wiretapping requests were refused in 2021, with only nine out of 3,359 being denied. Even without a warrant or the suspect's cooperation, Israeli police can access the suspect's phone using surveillance technologies.

A reporter for the Israeli business website Calcalist reported in January 2022 that Israeli police employ various software to remotely hack into the phones of Israeli citizens who are neither criminals nor suspects. In recent years, Israeli security agencies have mandated that internet service providers (ISPs) transmit user data to a central database monitored by intelligence agencies. The Israeli police have used Pegasus to monitor the phones of Israeli mayors and citizens. However, Israeli officials unabashedly declared the spying software legal once this scandal came to light.

The Israeli authority takes drastic measures to ensure its precarious survival, such as snooping on its citizens and violating their privacy, as its fear of being removed grows. Shabak has been spying on Israelis for decades. Twenty years ago, the Shabak statute required that all Israeli ISPs provide the agency access to customer data. No court can overrule Shabak's findings, even though ISPs have a legal obligation to preserve customer privacy and confidentiality.

Protecting citizens' rights is a primary concern voiced by critics of Netanyahu's right-wing administration. Jews on the political left and in the secular community are fearful that Netanyahu's government will impose religiously motivated restrictions, while the constant presence of state surveillance keeps the majority of Israelis on edge.

By: H. Zaim-Bashi