Ramallah - “Jerusalem” dot com - Today, Monday, the Israeli political arena witnessed what was described in the media as an “earthquake” after the Hebrew newspaper Calcalist revealed that the police used the “Pegasus” spy program to hack the phones of elected personalities and officials in Government ministries, businessmen, journalists, activists, and members of Benjamin Netanyahu's family, days after it revealed that the phones of Israelis from the general public had been hacked.
The Israeli Minister of Internal Security, Omir Bar-Lev, announced the formation of a governmental fact-finding committee on this issue. He said that there is a possibility of citizens and public figures being subjected to infringement of their rights.
Bar-Lev added - as quoted by the Arabic-speaking Israeli Public Broadcasting Authority - that the committee is empowered with the authority of an official commission of inquiry with regard to summoning witnesses and interrogating them under penalty of warning.
The Israeli Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, said that these reports are very dangerous if they are indeed proven true, stressing the need to examine this issue in depth.
Bennett added, "Such software is an important tool in combating terrorism and combating criminal elements, but it should not be used against citizens or public figures."
Shaked called for the formation of an external investigation committee, noting that the police and the Public Prosecution cannot investigate themselves.
In the same context, the Israeli court in Jerusalem canceled a deliberation session in the trial of former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following his revelations.
The session was scheduled to take place tomorrow, Tuesday, as the court justified canceling the session and postponing it to a later time for reasons related to waiting for answers regarding the use of the Pegasus program, which the public prosecution is expected to respond to next Wednesday.
In a recent context, the Israeli government approved, within the framework of its special session this afternoon, the appointment of attorney Gali Bahravo-Mayara as a new legal advisor to the government, succeeding her predecessor, Avichai Mendelblit.
Bennett indicated that Mayara is the first woman to hold this position since the “foundation of Israel,” stressing that the position of legal advisor to the government is one of the most important and sensitive positions in the service of the “state.”
Bennett said, "The appointment constitutes an opportunity to fix what needs to be fixed in light of the erosion of public confidence in law enforcement agencies."