Why Israel sells spyware to repressive Bangladesh

Following revelations that Israel sold spyware to Bangladesh, I was interviewed by Benar News:

“The latest revelations about Israel selling surveillance weapons to Bangladesh follow a sadly familiar pattern. The fact that Bangladesh is a dictatorship is irrelevant for Israeli arms dealers and the Jewish state,” said Antony Loewenstein, an Australian researcher whose forthcoming book [The Palestine Laboratory] deals with Israel’s export of surveillance technology.

In Feb. 2021, Al Jazeera reported that Bangladesh had purchased surveillance equipment manufactured by an Israeli firm that listed Hungary as its country of origin. Al Jazeera alleged that Bangladeshi officers were trained by Israeli experts to use the equipment that can monitor hundreds of mobile phones at one time.

The Defense Ministry in Israel, which regulates the industry, did not answer to Haaretz whether it had granted defense export permission for the Bangladesh sales.

“Israeli arms are routinely used as diplomatic weapons. There are barely any credible checks and balances in Israel,” Loewenstein said.

Text and images ©2024 Antony Loewenstein. All rights reserved.

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