India bought Israeli spyware Pegasus as part of $2 billion deal with Israel in 2017, claims NYT report
The report titled 'The Battle for the World's Most Powerful Cyberweapon', has also shed light on how Israel reaped favours from countries to which it had sold the controversial spyware.
FollowIndia bought controversial spyware tool Pegasus in 2017 as part of a larger arms deal of USD 2 billion with Israel, according to a new report published by The New York Times. The report claimed that India had reportedly signed the deal during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s landmark visit to Israel - the first by an Indian Prime Minister to that country.
The report titled 'The Battle for the World's Most Powerful Cyberweapon', has also shed light on how Israel reaped favours from countries to which it had sold the controversial spyware.
“The Modi visit, however, was notably cordial, complete with a carefully staged moment of him and Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu walking together barefoot on a local beach. They had reason for the warm feelings. Their countries had agreed on the sale of a package of sophisticated weapons and intelligence gear worth roughly $2 billion — with Pegasus and a missile system as the centerpieces.”
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The report mentioned that months later Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister at that time, “made a rare state visit to India” and in June 2019 “India voted in support of Israel at the U.N.’s Economic and Social Council to deny observer status to a Palestinian human rights organization, a first for the nation.”
The NYT report claimed, access to the spyware, which is classified as military-grade software and produced by the NSO Group, was reportedly part of a “package of sophisticated weapons and intelligence gear worth roughly $2 billion” between India and Israel.
NYT’s report, which examines how Israel reaped diplomatic gains around the world from NSO’s Pegasus spyware, details how the US’s Federal Bureau of Investigation bought a version of Pegasus. It also sheds new light on how the software ended up being sold to Poland, India and Hungary.
“The combination of Israel’s search for influence and NSO’s drive for profits has also led to the powerful spying tool ending up in the hands of a new generation of nationalist leaders worldwide. Though the Israeli government’s oversight was meant to prevent the powerful spyware from being used in repressive ways, Pegasus has been sold to Poland, Hungary and India, despite those countries’ questionable records on human rights,” the report noted.
Also read: Supreme Court appointed 3-member committee to probe Pegasus snooping row
The report provides no further details on the specifics of the deal – or insight into which government department or agency procured it on behalf of the Indian government – but in April 2017, it was widely reported that New Delhi had signed a $2 billion (nearly Rs 12,880 crore) contract with Israel Aerospace Industries for supply of air defence missiles to the Indian Army.
The revelations have come amid an ongoing probe into the Pegasus snooping allegations by a Supreme Court-appointed panel. Last year, an international consortium of journalists had reported that more than 300 verified phone numbers in India were on the list of potential targets for snooping via Pegasus. The list also contained the names of prominent politicians, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, poll strategist Prashant Kishor, several journalists and activists.
Besides India, several other countries including the United States, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Poland, Hungary had bought Pegasus, the newspaper reported, citing a year-long investigation.
Also read: Apple sues Pegasus spyware makers, says abuse of state-sponsored spyware must stop
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to slam the government, stating, “Modi government has committed treason”.
The Modi government bought Pegasus to spy on the primary institutions of our democracy, state leaders and the public. By tapping the phone, the ruling party, the Opposition, the Army, the judiciary have all been targeted. This is treason. The Modi government has committed treason.
