Israel Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai blasted the media and talked up law enforcement on Tuesday, after an investigative team refuted allegations that police had illicitly spied on Israeli citizens.
Speaking at a Border Police cadet graduation event Tuesday, Shabtai claimed the reporting had wreaked “unprecedented” damage on public trust in the police, calling for soul-searching in its wake.
“The ease by which the entire police force was slandered must be considered,” he said. “The Israel Police was hit with serious false allegations that critically hurt public trust, not just in the police, but in all law enforcement.”
“Fake news managed to infiltrate the mainstream media and to cause great harm that will take a great deal of time to mend,” Shabtai added.
Earlier this month, the Calcalist news outlet published an unsourced, bombshell report claiming police had spied on dozens of high-profile figures. The reports said police used the powerful Pegasus spyware from the surveillance company NSO Group to access phones, without court supervision.
The alleged targets included former ministry directors, prominent business figures, and family members and associates of former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A Justice Ministry investigation into the claims published interim findings on Monday that said there was “no indication” any such hacking took place.
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