NOTE: I will be doing two separate interviews with California radio stations on Thursday. The subject will be my article which Jacobin Magazine will publish later this week on Israeli cyber-hacking firms exploiting malware on behalf of rogue regime clients. We’ll discuss the recent Whatsapp hack created by NSO Group; and another Israeli company which was banned by Facebook after creating fake accounts which aired election propaganda sabotaging elections in Africa and Latin America.
On Thurs. at 9:30am (Pacific) I’ll be interviewed on KMUD (Mendocino). You can listen live here.
At 5pm (Pacific), I’ll be interviewed by KPFA (Berkeley). You can listen live here.
Jacobin Magazine just published my piece on Israel’s NSO Group and its hack of Whatsapp, which endangered the life of Saudi dissident, Ghanem Almasarir.
Comment feature: My comment function stopped working for two weeks. It has just been fixed. If you published a comment after May 24th, it has just been restored. I will be addressing and responding to some of these as time permits. If in future you notice anything on the site not working as it should, let me know.
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In February 2018, I saw a video of an Israeli TV news segment, which reported on a campaign to smear the Israeli police investigating the corruption cases against Bibi Netanyahu. The Kan report claimed that Soriano had signed a contract, and hired sub-contractors who were former Israeli military intelligence agents, to engage in surveillance of the police officials. The goal was to dig up dirt on the investigators and thus to sabotage the entire case mounted against him.
Soriano, age 51, was born in Argentina. He runs a high-end private investigation firm based in the UK called USG Security LTD. It is based in London, and its offices are a few blocks from Buckingham Palace. He resides in the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Golders Green. His clients are among the wealthiest individuals and companies on the continent. He also specializes in providing security for ultra-Orthodox diamond dealers.
In fact, Politico has just revealed that last April, the Senate Intelligence Committee, which conducted a two-year bipartisan investigation of Russia’s successful campaign to secure the presidency for Donald Trump, has requested Soriano’s testimony about his business relationships with Russian oligarchs like Oleg Deripraska. The letter inviting him to testify sought:
“…All communications or records of communications” with some characters who have by now become household names, like Manafort and Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
The committee also requested Soriano’s communications with three Israeli private intelligence firms: Psy Group, Wikistrat, and Black Cube, as well as any communications he may have had with Orbis Business Intelligence, a firm co-founded by the former British spy Christopher Steele.
This story blows open what was previously known about the election conspiracy, which mostly focussed on Russian bad actors. As Politico wrote:
The letter, obtained by Politico, offers yet another window into the panel’s secretive — but largely bipartisan — two-year-old investigation, and reveals the investigators’ interest in what, if any, role Israel may have played in attempts to manipulate the 2016 election.
Three of the four dirty-ops firms mentioned above are Israeli. It indicates that all of them may’ve also played critical roles in this wrongdoing. Given what we know about these firms (and I’ve reported extensively on all of them here), it’s clear that their services demand a high price tag and that only governments or oligarchs can afford their fees.
We already know that pro-Israel American Jews like Elliot Broidy played major roles in separate scandals involving the Trump transition. Joel Zamel, the founder of both Psy Group and Wikistrat, joined with Broidy in promoting various hare-brained schemes to the Trumps, including a plan to raise a mercenary army to invade Iran and overthrow its regime. It’s within the realm of possibility there are other pro-Israel plutocrats like them out there yet to be exposed. Soriano would certainly know where those bodies are buried (and would be loathe to talk for precisely that reason).
Returning to the Kan TV new story, it notes that Netanyahu and Soriano go back quite a ways. The UK private investigator knew Bibi’s brother Yonatan and even produced a documentary film after his death. Whenever Bibi needed “muscle” he called on Soriano. The Israeli broadcaster quotes a former worker in the prime minister’s office who said that the staff called Soriano, behind his back, “Bibi’s Bully.”
Within months, Soriano’s lawyers sents demands that I delete the Soriano post I’d published. If I refused, I would be sued for $75,000 damages based on the claim of defaming the man and his reputation.
I was not the only individual who reported on this story. Noted Israeli investigative journalist, Raviv Drucker, also spoke about it on an Israeli radio program. For his trouble, he too was sued by Soriano. When the Israeli media watchdog publication, 7th Eye, reported that Drucker had been sued, Soriano sued it as well. Thus, it’s no wonder that all other Israeli media outlets have refused to report on the case. Thankfully, so far we’re the only three parties who’ve drawn his ire in this case.
With the help of an Israeli attorney, I secured Shlomy Zacharia as my local counsel, who has represented me throughout the case. In our initial filings, we argued that an Israeli court should not have jurisdiction in this matter because the blog post and website originate in the U.S. Therefore any legal proceeding should be brought in the U.S. and argued under U.S. law.
Additionally, Soriano is a UK resident, with vague ties to Israel. Given that I am a U.S. citizen, there was no basis to claim Israel as the proper jurisdiction. We argued that this case represented an example of libel tourism in which an aggrieved party shops for the most favorable legal system in which to argue his case. UK laws used to be highly favorable to complainants and they used to exploit this by bringing suit when they had only the most tenuous connection to the country itself. Eventually, laws were tightened there and libel tourists stopped calling.
The Magistrate court agreed with our argument and threw out Soriano’s claims, deciding that Israeli courts are not the proper forum for hearing the case. Soriano’s attorney filed an appeal with the District Court. After arguments a few weeks ago, that court this week rejected the appeal. In addition, the court awarded me $2,500 in legal fees to be paid by Soriano.
Though the case was decided on more procedural grounds, I believe it represents a victory for press freedom and free speech. It is the second time I’ve been forced to defend myself in such a case and the second time I’ve won. I hope it will be the last, but given the nature of what I do, I can’t count on that.
I launched a legal defense fund on Facebook to help with the legal costs. I’m grateful that the fundraiser has raised over $1,000. If you have a Facebook account and wish to add your support, please do. You can also use the links in the blog sidebar to make a Paypal donation or a tax-deductible donation via the green Network for Good Donate button. If you do the latter, be sure to add “Tikun Olam” as the designee for your gift.
So finally you agree that there is at least something good in Israel, which is free speech….
@ Ilan Hadar: What a load of crap! Free speech? Tell it to 7th Eye and Raviv Drucker, who won’t have as easy a time of it defending their lawsuit by Soriano. I’m off the hook only because I’m not Israeli and not in Israel. Were I in Israel I’d be in as much jeopardy as they are. Or let’s take the case of David Sheen, sued for libel in Israel by IDF Gen. Ziv, who’s a conniving crook just placed under sanctions by the US government as a weapons dealer to Sudanese genocidaires. David had to hire a lawyer at great expense to defend himself. Tell me about free speech in Israel! Not to mention that there is no anti-SLAPP law in Israel as there are in many U.S. jurisdictions.
Assuming that the Israeli TV report is true, and that Soriano is Bibi’s paid goon, why would Soriano suddenly thrust himself into the spotlight with a public law suit against popular Israeli media figures?
This, at a time when a Congressional Committee wants to talk to Soriano.
I thought this guys shuns publicity?
How come Soriano changed his modus operandi, and came out of the shadows?
@Eunice Kearnes: A good question. There could be many reasons:
1.he could be rash and self destructive
2. He could believe the three parties he’s sued are anti’Israel secular leftist trash
3. He may want to punish Bibi’s enemies
4. He may want to prove to his enemies that anyone who writes about him will feel the wrath of God.
He’s been falsely accused, and he wants to clear his name in public.
@ Eunice Kearnes: You had me fooled there for a second. Now here I thought you’d offered a reasonable questions and wanted a reasonable answer. How naive of me to misjudge you. I didn’t know you wanted a bullshit answer, because that’s what you offered. This guy serves Russian oligarchs. And you think he needs his name cleared? His name is mud and no amount of soap or water can clear it.
I think there are more oligarchs in the US running things than in Russia.
@Natasha: Russia is a relatively poor country except for it’s natural resources. The U.S. is rich country. So of Course there are fatcats, who might be called oligarchs. Further, the concentration of wealth and stratification is much more severe in Russia than here.
It’s more difficult for them to game the system here. We have a legal and political system that is far more transparent and robust than Russia. Plus Russia has been run by a murderous dictator for over 20 yrs. We rotate our presidents precisely to avoid this monopoly of power at the top, which benefits such oligarchs.
e.g. the Koch bros. just inundated the Dems with huge sums of money. This is called ‘corporates ‘running’ the govnt.
Along side this all the lackeys from Obama’s admin are still lurking around the WH etc.
Just look a the 23 candidates all promising ‘the moon’ just for the power=$$$.
The US is corrupt in its very own special way.
@ natasha: Putin himself couldn’t have put it any better. Your address isn’t the Internet Research Agency is it? Ah, I see your IP locates you in Israel. Why would you be pimping for Putin when you live in Israel?
You’ve distorted U.S. politics. The Kochs are establishing a fund which will support elections in bipartisan fashion. Any Democrat who accepts any funds from these oligarchs should have his or her head examined and be booed out of the Party or election. The Kochs don’t “run the government.” If a Democrat is elected president, the power of oligarchs will be far less than the power of oligarchs over running the Russian government.
What the hell are you talking about? This is utter nonsense. I have a rule her in this blog: if you want to offer opinions and claim they’re fact you offer credible evidence. If you violate that rule I consider you a troll. I abhor opinion masquerading as fact.
There are 20 Democratic candidates, but why let facts get in your way. The notion that Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren are promising the moon in return for corporate cash is idiotic and offensive. I put you on notice. Another outburst like this and you’ll be moderated.
If you examine rankings by Transparency International you’ll find Russia’s corruption is scores of times worse than corruption in the U.S. But again, why let the word of a credible international organization spoil your prejudices?
Congrats with your victory.
Even though she seriously got under your skin, I do agree with natasha.
As for the Transparency International ranking, it strikes me that highest ranking countries (light and dark yellow in the 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index report) are virtually all the WASP countries, i.e. the “good guys” in geoploitics, with a couple of exceptions that still toe the WASP line.
@Ernesto Che: the Corruption Index uses transparent, rigorous, unbiased standards to rank countries. Russia is ranked 28 (corrupt). The U.S. is ranked 71. That says it all.
If you have substantive issues with the index or how it’s compiled you should advance them. Your argument isn’t one really. It’s little better than an street bully’s insult. What does being a WASP have to do with whether or not a country is corrupt? There are quite a few non-WASP country ranked as being honest. Among them, Taiwan, Japan, Bhutan and UAE.
She didn’t “get under my skin.” She’s either a fraud or a troll. I don’t like frauds.
@Richard Silverstein: I have not been able to find the rankings you mention, but I’ll take your word for it. I only referred to the perception map of 2018. On there the “ranking” is as I described. WASP as such has nothing to do with it, it is just my observation, hence my further description of those countries falling into the usual Western “good guys” category, which I find remarkable. It TI really independent? Would they rank there funders low?
I have not insulted anyone with this, I just described what I notice, whether you agree or not is your business.
You seem to have a big problem with people who hold a different opinion from yours, and since this is your website you feel you have the right to treat them like dirt. Yes, I know, if I don’t like your style I can stay away, but that still does not take away the chip you must have on your shoulder.
@ Ernesto Che: I used the same map you did and if you look at the colors on the map for countries ranked either honest or relatively honest, you’ll find the very un-WASPlike countries I named. These are not western countries: some are Asian and some Middle Eastern. You have to examine the map a bit closer to see them, but they’re there.
I have a problem with people who hold opinions that are wrong, are unsupported by credible facts or sources, or which are flippantly offered as true when they’re anything but…
@Richard Silverstein: I see, clicking on a country shows its ranking. Yes, US ranks higher than Russia, and the colour confirms it. That still does not erase the fact that the large majority of yellow-coloured countries (US-like ranking, i.e. 70+) are the WASP-“good guys”-Western countries. If you read my original comment you’ll see I admit there a few exceptions; those are Japan, Uruguay and France. If there are other non-WASPs that fall in that category please point them out.
There are NO Middle eastern countries with a US-like ranking, and the only Asian country in that league is Japan.
As for people’s opinions, by definition they cannot be wrong, that’s why they are an opinion and personal. What is wrong is that a statement can be factually wrong and is presented as an “opinion”. That “opinion” is not an opinion anymore, it is simply a factually wrong statement, and if the person persists in believing that factually wrong statement, well, that then is their opinion.
That you reject those factually wrong statements presented as opinions from your comments section is fully understandable and laudable. Nevertheless, you do have a problem with genuine opinions that do not line up with your own opinion, and you use a heavy-handed way of excoriating those with a genuine but different opinion – in my opinion, if I may, that is flaw here. Still, you are Da Boss here, so you can do and decide whatever you wish.
@ Ernesto Che: Jeez, I hope the real Che was more thorough than you are. This will be my last comment on the matter since you’re forcing me to repeat myself. And you’ve had your last comment in this thread.
Thank you for finding countries ranked as honest that were not “WASP.” You unfortunately, deliberately misstated or misread the results I showed you. In addition to those you conceded were non-WASP like Uruguay and Japan (not sure why you consider France to be non-WASP, but whatever), I also noted that UAE, Bhutan, and Taiwan were in the same “honest” category.
Again, you left out UAE which is definitely a Middle Eastern country.
Absurd. And the real Che would be embarrassed by your assuming his name.
Read the comment rules. I could care less what you think about my editorial decisions. They are mine, not yours. If you don’t like them, no one is imprisoning you here. The web is free.
Remember, you are free to comment here in general if you wish. But not in this thread.
@Ernesto Che: I stated “…. and if the person persists in believing that factually wrong statement, well, that then is their opinion.”
That should read: “…. and if the person persists in believing that factually wrong statement, well, that then is their business.”
My apologies for this typo.