Pegasus row: Ex-diplomat Syed Akbaruddin denies allegations on India's UN vote for Israel

As the row over a New York Times report on Pegasus, ex-Indian diplomat Syed Akbaruddin on Saturday, rubbished insinuations regarding India's UN voter favouring Israel in 2019. Akbaruddin was India's Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations from 2016-2020 and voted for Israel at the U.N.’s Economic and Social Council to deny observer status to a Palestinian human rights organization in June 2019. The NYT report claims that the Modi govt purchased NSO's Pegasus spyware in 2017.

Ex-UN diplomat rubbishes UN vote claim

What does NYT claim?

After a year-long investigation, the New York Times (NYT) on Friday, claimed that Centre had finalised a deal with the Israeli government regarding the sale of Pegasus in 2017. In the report, NYT alleged that India and Israel 'had agreed on $2 Billion weapons/intelligence package sale with Pegasus and a missile system as the centerpieces' when PM Modi met Netanyahu in Israel. The report also details the rise of NSO - the Israeli company which created Pegasus, and its client nations.

The report claims, "For decades, India had maintained a policy of what it called “commitment to the Palestinian cause,” and relations with Israel were frosty. The Modi visit, however, was notably cordial, complete with a carefully staged moment of him and Prime Minister Netanyahu walking together barefoot on a local beach. They had a reason for the warm feelings. Their countries had agreed on the sale of a package of sophisticated weapons and intelligence gear worth roughly $2 billion — with Pegasus and a missile system as the centerpieces".

The report also co-related the sale to India's vote in support of Israel at the U.N.’s Economic and Social Council to deny observer status to a Palestinian human rights organization in June 2019. The report alleged that with the Israeli government’s oversight, NSO had knit together a 'rising generation of right-wing leaders worldwide'. Other client nations mentioned in the report are Mexico, Hungary, Poland, UAE, Saudi Arabia.

Pulling up the Centre over the report, ex-Congress chief Rahul Gandhi termed the spying a 'treason'.  Echoing similar sentiments, TMC MP Mahua Moitra called the Pegasus purchase 'part of larger quid pro quo'. Similarly, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said, "New York Times has blown the lid off Pegasus issue. We were not allowed to speak on the issue in Parliament. We are being spied on, BJP leaders are being spied upon".

What is the Pegasus snoopgate?

In July, a report by sixteen media houses claimed that 300 verified Indian mobile telephone numbers were allegedly spied upon using Israeli surveillance technology firm Pegasus - which only has 36 vetted governments as its clients. As per a 'leaked' database, numbers of those allegedly spied upon include over 40 journalists, three major opposition figures, one constitutional authority, two serving cabinet ministers, current and former heads, and officials of security organizations and businessmen. The target also includes the eight activists currently accused of the Bhima Koregaon case. The report claimed that the leaked numbers mainly belong to ten countries - India, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Morocco, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Supreme Court has constituted a technical committee to probe into the spying allegations.