Israelis awoke Feb. 7 to an earthquake. According to an expose in the financial daily Calcalist, police had hacked the phones of unsuspecting Israeli citizens without a court order, using spyware developed against the country’s enemies. The list of those allegedly hacked was long and varied, including mayors, directors of government ministries, social activists, journalists and others. Among those mentioned were several close associates of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including key figures in his ongoing corruption trial.
The report, if true, is shocking in its civil rights implications. The alleged targeting of Netanyahu associates amplifies its destructive potential, fueling claims by the former prime minister and his allies that the investigation and prosecution against him on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust had all been rigged.
