Israel said trying to mend France ties strained over reported NSO phone hack
National Security Adviser Eyal Hulata visited France in
recent days in an attempt to defuse a crisis involving the suspected use of
Israeli spyware developed by NSO Group to hack the phones of French President
Emmanuel Macron and other senior French officials, the Walla news site reports.
Citing senior Israeli sources, the outlet says Hulata met at
the Elysee Palace with Macron’s diplomatic adviser Emmanuel Bonne, with the
crisis one of the central issues discussed.
According to the report, an international investigation that
in July unveiled the alleged hacking caused a diplomatic rift and Macron called
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who promised to investigate the matter. Days
later, Defense Minister Benny Gantz flew to Paris and presented initial
findings.
Walla says France froze a significant part of the
diplomatic, security and intelligence ties with Israel over the matter until it
is clarified, including halting mutual visits. Hulata has since been leading
covert talks to defuse the crisis.
Hulata has reportedly presented additional findings to Bonne
and proposed an Israeli promise that any future offensive cyber software deal
with a third country will include a clause forbidding the targeting of French
phones numbers, similar to deals already in place with the US and Britain.
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