R&I – FS
Israel’s justice ministry has pledged a full investigation into allegations that the controversial Pegasus spyware was used on Israeli citizens, including people who led protests against former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israeli police firmly denied a report by the business daily Calcalist that Pegasus, a surveillance product made by the Israeli firm NSO, was used on citizens at the forefront of last year’s protests against Netanyahu, as well as on journalists and dissidents worldwide.
Israel’s Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar said at a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday that there was an “unbridgeable gap” between the report and the police’s statements, and that the attorney general was also investigating the claims made in the article.
Pegasus, which can turn a mobile phone into a pocket spying device, has sparked global controversy following revelations last year that it was used to spy on journalists and dissidents worldwide.
Israel’s defence ministry, which must approve all exports of Israeli-made defence industry products, has also opened an investigation into sales of Pegasus overseas.
The US has barred the NSO group from American technology, saying its products have been used by repressive regimes.
JW
Article URL : https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/19/israel-to-probe-alleged-pegasus-use-to-spy-on-citizens