Image by Selim Aksam / iStock

(JTA) — A leaked document alleges that the Palestinian Authority has been wiretapping its residents with the backing of the CIA.

The document was shared on the messaging service WhatsApp by an anonymous employee of the Palestinian wiretapping agency last month, according to The Associated Press. It says the agency was set up jointly by three Palestinian security services and contains transcripts of recorded phone conversations.

The wiretapping allegedly targeted thousands of Palestinians, from the heads of militant groups to judges, lawyers and allies of P.A. President Mahmoud Abbas, according to AP.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Now two of the people allegedly wiretapped are suing the Palestinian Authority: Tawfiq Tirawi, the Palestinian West Bank intelligence chief from 1994 to 2008, and Jawad Obeidat, head of the Palestinian bar association.

“I made these phone calls and this is evidence that the leaked report is true,” said Obeidat, who has led anti-government protests in the past, according to AP. “This is a blatant violation of human rights.”

The wiretapping reportedly began in 2013 with help from the CIA. In exchange, the P.A. allegedly shared the intelligence with the U.S. spy agency. The report comes as Abbas feuds with President Donald Trump over Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

The head of Palestinian security services called the report “nonsense,” according to AP.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’re near the end of our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we have a very ambitious goal of $127,000 by April 21.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a Passover gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Make a Passover Gift Today!

$90 $180

$360

Other amount