The cabinet passed a resolution on Sunday authorizing the creation of a special committee to investigate the so-called Pegasus affair, in which law enforcement officials allegedly used spyware improperly against Israeli citizens.
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Israel Hayom first reported on the expected vote earlier in August, prompting Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to warn that the committee would have no jurisdiction to investigate the Israel Police over pending cases in the judiciary, presumably referring, inter alia, to the trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose supporters say was interrogated using unfair practices.
Video: Accusations over the Pegasus spyware / Credit: Knesset channel
The cabinet meeting lasted for several hours, culminating with a vote to empower the future committee to review the conduct of the police, as well as prosecutors, and the various oversight mechanisms regarding the use of cyber tools, including Pegasus – software that was developed by the Israeli company NSO.
According to various uncorroborated reports, NSO sold the program to various regimes around the world who then used it for their own domestic spying against dissidents and various other groups. NSO has long claimed that all exports and transactions were approved by the relevant Israeli authorities and that in no way was it involved in human rights abuses and other potential uses that were not authorized.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not participate in the vote on Sunday and left the discussion, presumably because of a conflict of interest. During the debate, Justice Minister Levin attacked the representative of the State Attorney's Office. "They think we are all idiots," he reportedly said.
Baharav-Miara reiterated her warning on Sunday in a letter to ministers that it would be "forbidden to have open cases such as the Netanyahu cases come under the purview of the committee, and there is a fear of conflict of interest by the prime minister." She also said that the committee's conduct could create a legal morass because of "objections by the National Security Council, the Shin Bet security agency, and the Israel Police to the creation of the committee for fear of exposing the capabilities of the fight against serious crime and maintaining the security of the state."
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