The wiretapping affair: The investigation team was appointed to investigate allegations of alleged illegal use of means of wiretapping, and today (Monday) submitted its findings to Attorney General Gali Bahar Rabbi Miara.
The team, led by Amit Merri, Deputy Attorney General (Criminal) and with the participation of two retired GSS division heads, who also enlisted the help of technological experts, examined whether “gluing” to mobile phones belonging to the list of people published in the media, without Pegasus software, without a court order .
State Comptroller on the Pegasus and NSO affair. Photo: Without credit
Main team findings: With the completion of the comprehensive technological test, which also relied on information received from NSO experts, it emerged that There is no indication For the fact that the Israel Police used a Pegasus software in their hands, without a court order, a telephone of one of the list of people published in the media.
According to the information provided to the team, there are wiretapping orders for three of the people who appeared on the published list, when for two of them, according to the team’s findings, an infection attempt was indeed made, and only for one of the two for which an order was given – the infection was successful.
- Maariv-Walla rating: These are the outstanding investment houses in Israel
The test was also performed in relation to another system that came into use recently, which also in its case was no indication that an infection or attempts were made to infect the mobile phones of any of the list of people published.
We also noted that a technological test was performed on the Pegasus system and the additional system, also in relation to the mobile telephones in the possession of the three former general managers of the government ministries whose names were published, among other things using data provided by the team.
This check also revealed that there was no indication that a wiretapping had been carried out on their mobile phones. These tests required several rounds of testing also in front of the company and extended the testing procedure beyond the planned.
As will be recalled, the team was appointed against the background of various allegations published in “Calcalist” in relation to the deviation from the powers given to the Israel Police with regard to illegal wiretapping. Following these publications, it was reported that the Israel Police is carrying out independent active actions to technologically monitor civilians, sometimes even regardless of the ongoing investigation or clarification of suspicions of committing criminal offenses, and in any case without a court order being obtained.
The inspection team, assisted by technological experts from security bodies, conducted a thorough and in-depth technological inspection, between February 9 and 20, 2022, when the inspection was performed against all data reflecting police operations in the Pegasus system, from the date of commencement of police operation until today. By the company from the system’s internal database.
The police emphasized that the system is installed in Israeli police facilities only. According to the information provided by NSO, the police do not have access to the system’s internal database, and its only access to the system is through the user interface.
In addition, the team will continue its work with respect to examining the occupation and police handling of wiretapping, including expanding the examination of allegations of use of systems without a warrant beyond the list of published persons. The police said that “to the extent that further investigations of the staff reveal findings that indicate improper conduct that has a suspicion of a criminal offense, the handling of the concrete findings will be transferred to the competent authorities.”
“This is a resounding credit to the police, the trust in them has been severely damaged”
Minister of Internal Security, Amar Bar-Lev, He said following the publication of the conclusions that “this is a resounding acquittal for the Israel Police and the uniformed men.” He added: “There are many factors that need to bow their heads and apologize to Israeli police officers and their families – over 30,000 men and women, whose names have been smeared in the mud on every stage in recent weeks. I repeat what I said all the time – Also to restore trust in her, who was severely harmed. ”
Police sources said that the former commissioner, Roni Alsich, Was right in his remarks. “From the first moment we said we were sure no one was listening without a signed judge’s order and every action was done according to law. The committee did well to give a full and true picture of the situation in the face of a tsunami of Pike News.” According to them, “Calcalist hit the Israeli police and 32,000 thousand policemen, and as Alsheikh said – someone will pay for it.”
Response Calcalist system To Merri’s team report: “The findings of the interim report require serious consideration and re-examination of the findings and allegations we published in” Calcalist “, and this is done. Due to the short time between the date of publication of the interim report last night Has not yet been done. When we finish it, we will not hesitate to repair as much as is required.
At the same time, the report completely validates Calcalist’s exposure, according to which police use super-invasive offensive spyware to steal civilians’ phones. The orders given for wiretapping do not confer legal authority to operate such spyware, and a significant amendment of the law is needed. The report also mentions another spyware besides that of NSO (whose name is not mentioned) which was also used by the police for this purpose.
“To the best of our knowledge, the determination in the interim report that there was no pasting of the phones of most of the people mentioned in the list rests on technological tests, and not on a DIP investigation of the spy operators. On the face of it, the team appears to have relied on its conclusions on materials transferred to it from the police and the NSO company.
It is also important to say that the interim report deals exclusively with the Semitic list published in Calcalist. The team has not yet examined many of the key issues raised in the investigations. The wording of the report by the authors of the report itself indicates the problematic nature of these issues: the practice and police handling of wiretapping. “Israel, the existence of indications for exceeding authority, supervision and control in real time and in retrospect on all stages of police work in the field.”