Israel planned to spy on anti-war activists in US, Canada

 It has been revealed that Israel planned to spy on anti-war activists in the US and Canada, especially the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) group, which has been leading protests against Israel in North American universities since the outbreak of Israel’s war against the Palestinians in Gaza.

Israeli Minister for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Anti-Semitism, Amichai Chikli, has reportedly discussed the possibility of such a campaign with the CEO of Israeli spy company Black Cube, Dan Zorella.

A ministry spokesperson claimed that Black Cube had initiated the proposal to spy on the anti-war organisation, and claimed that the proposal was rejected. However, according to the Israeli Hebrew-language newspaper the Marker on Wednesday, Black Cube said that the Israeli ministry had initiated the proposal to spy on US citizens, and that the company refused, fearing that it would become involved with the US authorities and damage its ability to operate in the United States.

The Marker said that Chikli met with Zorella at a private residence in Herzliya at the end of June, with the aim of discussing the details of the spying campaign, noting that the meeting was attended by the ministry’s director general, Avi Cohen Scali, and retired General Giora Eiland, in his capacity as chairman of a Black Cube advisory committee.

Former Israeli diplomats have warned that using a private spy company against an organisation whose activities are concentrated in the United States and most of whose activists are American citizens could be considered an attack on American sovereignty. Such activities, they pointed out, could harm Israel’s relations with the US administration and Israel’s image among the American public.

Black Cube has been linked to several scandals in recent years, including carrying out espionage operations on behalf of disgraced and imprisoned Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who was accused by around 100 women of sexually assault, as well as hacking the computers of those close to the head of the anti-corruption authority in Romania in 2016. Five of the company’s employees, including its founder, Zorella, were convicted of criminal charges for this.

The company has also been accused of carrying out espionage operations against human rights activists, journalists, a judge and a government official, with the aim of advancing the interests of its clients.

The Marker quoted a senior Israeli diplomat who worked in the United States as saying that, “A company like Black Cube that works on behalf of a private client should not be problematic in the eyes of the American administration.” When a foreign government hires a spy company to work in the United States, though, this constitutes a violation of American sovereignty, Israel’s former ambassador to Washington, Itamar Rabinovich, told the newspaper.

“Apart from the potential damage to relations with the US administration, an activity like the one described in your report could seriously damage Israel’s image, turn organisations that have waged an unfair battle against Israel into victims, and portray Israel as an aggressive, thuggish state in the public’s eyes.”

The newspaper noted that there is no dispute that the espionage campaign did not go ahead.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240808-israel-planned-to-spy-on-anti-war-activists-in-us-canada/