Ex-Israeli police chief dismisses claims of spyware hacking

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s former police chief says that recent allegations about police using sophisticated spyware to hack mobile phones of prominent officials and protesters have “no bearing on reality.” Roni Alsheikh was head of the national police during some of the alleged snooping. He said in a video released to the media on Wednesday that now that the names of alleged targets have been published “it’s possible to confirm or deny or get a clearer factual picture.” Reports in a business newspaper this week of illegal use of the NSO Group’s spyware Pegasus on the phones of some prominent figures have prompted high-level investigations and roiled Israeli politics.