Prime Minister Naftali Bennett held a phone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the allegations that spyware developed by an Israeli company was used to target the French leader, Channel 12 News reported on Saturday.
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Macron reportedly asked Bennett to ensure the issue was being taken seriously, while Bennett clarified that the events predate the swearing-in of his government in June. The required conclusions regarding this matter will be reached, Bennett reportedly assured the French leader.
A global outcry was triggered last week when several international media organizations reported that the Pegasus spyware, developed by the Israeli-based NSO Group, was used in hacking smartphones belonging to journalists, human rights activists and government officials in several countries.
Macron held an emergency cybersecurity meeting on Thursday to weigh possible government action after reports that his cellphone and those of government ministers may have been targeted by spyware.
Macron changes his phones regularly and is "taking the matter very seriously," government spokesman Gabriel Attal said Thursday on France-Inter radio.
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An official with NSO, Haim Gelfand, told i24NEWS on Wednesday that Macron was not a target. Gelfand said the company would review some of the cases that were revealed by the media and press clients about how they are using Pegasus. He said the company follows a careful process before deciding to whom to sell its systems.
i24NEWS contributed to this report.
