Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Linked to Blacklisted Cyber Company Intellexa in International Investigative Project

In a recent revelation as part of the international investigative project "Predator Cases," it has come to light that former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was associated with the offensive cyber company Intellexa, which is currently on the American government's blacklist. The investigation, led by Daniel Dolev and the "Hashomerim" organization, has raised concerns about the company's activities and its potential involvement with repressive regimes.

Intellexa, founded by retired senior officers in the technological array of the Israeli Intelligence Corps, is registered abroad, allowing it to bypass approval from the Israeli Ministry of Defense for its transactions. Recent findings have exposed its espionage activities being used against human rights activists, journalists, and politicians by authoritarian governments, leading to its blacklisting by the United States government.

The investigative documents reveal correspondence from early 2022 between Brand Schmidbauer, the former German intelligence coordinator, and the "Federal Office for Information Security" (BSI), responsible for cyber defense in Germany. Schmidbauer attempted to arrange a meeting with Ernie Schoenbohm, the head of the BSI, to introduce Intellexa's cyber protection product and explore the possibility of its purchase by Germany.

Despite Schmidbauer's efforts, the meeting with the BSI did not materialize, as the agency claimed it did not require Intellexa's cyber protection products. Notably, the correspondence mentions the participation of a "world-class renowned expert" and "a former Israeli prime minister" in the proposed meeting, with Ehud Olmert later confirming his past association with Intellexa.

In a conversation with "Hashomerim," Olmert acknowledged his previous work with Intellexa but offered no further details. When questioned about the meeting in Germany, he simply stated, "I wasn't there." Olmert declined to elaborate on the matter, and following the conversation, he chose not to respond to additional questions, citing that he was on a family vacation abroad and that his relationship with Intellexa had ended several months prior.

Ehud Olmert is not the first Israeli executive linked to Intellexa, as a previous investigation in Greece and Macedonia revealed that Nir Ben Moshe, the former head of security in the Israeli Defense Ministry, had also been associated with the company. His involvement came to light through a draft agreement between Greek and Macedonian intelligence agencies, involving surveillance activities. Intellexa, operating from Greece, was implicated in the agreement, with Ben Moshe signing amendments on its behalf. At the time, Ben Moshe did not provide a response to the publication's findings.

These revelations raise questions about the activities and connections of individuals associated with Intellexa and the potential implications for international cybersecurity and human rights.