Shin Bet admits terrorizing Palestinians, sending threatening messages
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The Israeli occupation's internal security agency asks the Supreme Court to dismiss a lawsuit over its use of text messages to threaten Palestinians.
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An Israeli occupation police officer aims a weapon at Palestinian worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, on May 10, 2021 (Reuters)
As its savage habit, the Israeli occupation's Shin Bet internal security agency is defending its use of a sophisticated surveillance tool that was used to send threatening text messages to Palestinians who took part in confrontations to defend the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Al-Quds in May 2021.
In a filing, the "Adalah Legal Center" and the "Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI)" have asked the Israeli occupation's Supreme Court to halt the violation, saying the threatening messages exceeded the authorities of the Shin Bet.
The group also noted that the messages were sent to people uninvolved in the confrontations. The Shin Bet had already admitted last year to using its tracking system to send threatening messages to Palestinians.
Further proving the Israeli occupation's savage nature, the Shin Bet asked the court in a May 4 submission to dismiss the case, claiming that the tracking technology was a "legitimate" tool within the scope of its authority.
It described the misfired messages as an isolated error and admitted that it had identified "several specific flaws in the manner of sending the messages," disregarding the fact that by tracking their movement, it is illegally surveilling Palestinians and violating their privacy.
The Shin Bet also alleged that the tool was "proportionate, balanced and most reasonable."
Using mobile-phone tracking technology, the Shin Bet sent a text message to people it believed were involved in confrontations against Israeli occupation forces that stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque and brutally assaulted Palestinian worshippers, telling them, "You have been identified as someone who took part in violent acts at the al-Aqsa Mosque. We will settle the score," and, "We will hold you accountable."
Acri has warned that such mass messages cause "a chilling effect on an activity that is not determined anywhere to be against the law."
In a statement, two of the group’s attorneys, Gil Gan-Mor and Gadeer Nicola, accused the Shin Bet of using "intrusive surveillance tools" to intimidate citizens and convey that they are under surveillance.
Refuting the claims of the Shin Bit of using the tool as part of an investigation, the two attorneys stressed that "the sending of the message does not provide any new information to the Shin Bet, so it is not an investigation. It is about the exercise of authority that uses intrusive surveillance tools on citizens, the sole purpose of which is to instill terror in the citizen and convey to him that he is under surveillance."
