Khaberni - The Israeli Knesset approved in the first reading, an extension of an order that grants the army and the Shin Bet (Shabak) the power to penetrate computer materials operating fixed cameras for one year, in an espionage activity that involves Arab countries.
According to observers, this step signifies a consolidation of comprehensive digital surveillance under the guise of "security", including the Palestinians and the Arab countries.
The decision, which has been referred to the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee for further discussion, allows the army and the Shabak to technically intervene in the camera operating systems, and to control or restrict access to the filmed materials under the pretext of maintaining "operational continuity" and executing "security missions".
In practice, this gives the Israeli security agencies broad access to private spaces without sufficient judicial oversight or notification to the owners of the systems.
Although the law is described as a "temporary" measure, rights activists and experts warn against it becoming permanent legislation, especially given the repeated extensions of powers that were originally adopted as temporary exceptions during times of war. Critics argue that this approach transforms the exception into the rule and opens the door to legislated mass surveillance.
In this regard, Palestinian digital rights organizations have warned that Israeli surveillance practices historically primarily target Palestinians, whether inside the Green Line or in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, making this law a tool that can be politicized and used for repression, and restricting freedom of expression, journalistic work, and civil activity.
Internationally, this step aligns with repeated warnings from Amnesty International about the unregulated use of surveillance technologies, underscoring that governments employ these tools to suppress dissidents, journalists, and minorities, in clear violation of international human rights law. Recent technical studies also show that advanced hacking tools threaten privacy and digital security even in countries classified as "democratic", due to the lack of controls, transparency, and the broad scope of targeting that includes innocent people.
The extension of the law comes in the broader context of the expansion of the Israeli espionage system, at a time when companies like Google and Apple have issued broad security warnings to millions of users in over 150 countries, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia, about state-sponsored attacks using advanced spyware linked to Israeli companies. Technical reports indicate that these software tools have been used in targeting activists and journalists, prompting the United States to impose sanctions on some of the companies involved.
Observers see the combination of legislating the penetration of cameras domestically and the continued export of spying technologies internationally as confirming Israel's direction towards normalizing digital surveillance as a political and security tool, not only against the Palestinians but as part of a cross-border spying network.
Ultimately, the extension of this law is not merely a temporary security measure, but a dangerous shift towards the legalization of privacy violations and transforming the digital sphere into a domain under Israeli surveillance, in the absence of real guarantees that protect rights and freedoms, most importantly the rights of Palestinians and Arabs in their countries.
