Israel defends the use of surveillance technology against protesters

ERUSALEM — Israel’s attorney general has affirmed the Shin Bet security agency’s usage of mobile-phone tracking technology last year to monitor and threaten Palestinian protesters in Jerusalem’s most sacred holy site.

The civil rights group that opposed the technology’s use reacted strongly to the Tuesday decision. It would have a “chilling impact” on the country’s Arab minority, warned the group.

The move by the attorney general was made in response to a complaint about a series text messages that were sent last May to hundreds Palestinians during one of the most turbulent periods in recent years. The violence that sparked an 11-day war between Israel, Hamas militants in Gaza Strip led to protestors clashing with Israeli police officers at Al Aqsa Mosque.

The Shin Bet used its tracking technology to send a text message telling people in the area that the clashes were taking place to inform them that they would be held responsible for any violence.
Both Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem and Palestinian citizens of Israel were among the recipients. Some recipients were involved in the clashes but many others, including those who live, work, or pray in the area, received it incorrectly and stated that they were shocked or scared.

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (a civil-society organization) filed a complaint against Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit asking him to stop using the technology. It mentioned the impact of the tool on large groups of people as well as the threatening language in the text.

The attorney general’s response acknowledged that there were problems with the message. This was due to its language as well as the fact that the mass distribution of the message included unintended targets. It said that the technology was legitimately used by the security service and that it has been revised to prevent similar errors in the future.

The opinion stated that “After discussions with us about this subject, lessons were learnt in the security agency with guidelines formulated in different aspects with the aim of preventing a repeat of problems like these.” The office stated that it would not be intervening in the matter further.

Tuesday marked the end of Mandelblit’s six-year term. The ruling was criticized by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI).

Gil Gan-Mor is the head of the group’s unit for human rights in digital age. “We think differently.”

He stated that authorities have the tools to investigate and prosecute those suspected of violence but that sending threats was not the best way to ensure security.

He stated that “Obviously this will have an adverse effect, to put it mildly, on legitimate activities such as going to a demonstration or going to prayer somewhere.” He said that the group was currently studying the decision and would decide within the next few days whether or not to appeal to the Israeli Supreme Court.

ACRI has filed lawsuits against the government’s use Shin Bet tracking technology to track contacts to stop the spread of coronavirus in early stages of the pandemic.

The tool was eventually banned by Israel’s Supreme Court. Studies have shown that it is largely ineffective at identifying COVID-19-positive people.