JAMAICA'S Digital Entanglement with Israeli Intelligence Operations

MONTEGO BAY,  Jamaica, July 6, 2025 - Jamaica has significantly deepened its cybersecurity partnerships with Israel throughout 2024-2025, marked by a J$4-billion ELTA Systems contract, high-level diplomatic visits, and ongoing surveillance technology cooperation that has drawn sharp opposition criticism and regional diplomatic consequences.

This digital entanglement reflects a broader pattern of Israeli surveillance technology deployment across the Caribbean, with documented spyware operations in Trinidad and Tobago raising serious questions about democratic oversight and human rights protections.

The partnerships represent far more than routine cybersecurity cooperation. They include intelligence-sharing arrangements that have strained Jamaica's relationship with the United States, prompted sustained opposition criticism about surveillance overreach, and forced Jamaica to navigate complex diplomatic tensions that ultimately led to its recognition of Palestine in April 2024 under regional pressure.

Recent cybersecurity developments reveal expanded Israeli presence

Minister Daryl Vaz's November 2024 delegation to Israel marked a significant escalation in Jamaica-Israel cybersecurity cooperation. The high-level joint delegation with the Ministry of National Security included Lt. Colonel Godphey Sterling, head of Jamaica's Cyber Incident Response Team, and senior policy directors for cyber intelligence.

The delegation conducted working visits to Israel's Cyber Capital Beer Sheva and met with Israeli energy and cyber officials to explore "bilateral collaboration opportunities."

The visit followed disclosure of a five-year J$4-billion contract with ELTA Systems Limited, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries specializing in defense electronics and cyber defense solutions.

National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang confirmed the contract aims to "harden" critical Jamaican institutions against cyberattacks through constant monitoring systems and vulnerability elimination.

ELTA Systems won 15 Israel Defense Prizes and has over 50 years of experience in electromagnetic sensors and cyber defense, making it a significant player in Israeli military-industrial complex.

Jamaica is simultaneously establishing a cyber academy using equipment from multiple countries including Israel, Canada, the United States, Australia, and France.

The academy operates under the Caribbean Institute of Cyber Science, established under the Caribbean Military Academy-Jamaica Defence Force, indicating the militarization of Jamaica's cybersecurity infrastructure.

Caribbean surveillance technology deployment raises alarm

While no evidence emerged of NSO Group Pegasus deployment in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago hosts confirmed Predator spyware infrastructure according to multiple independent sources.

Citizen Lab research documented country-specific domain names used by Cytrox (Predator developer), while Recorded Future's March 2024 analysis identified Trinidad and Tobago among 11 countries with active Predator infrastructure.

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar presented evidence of Predator operations in Trinidad's Parliament, questioning the government about the duration of use.

The technical evidence contradicts government denials, with infrastructure hosted on consumer broadband connections indicating local operations consistent with government-level customer profiles.

Both Pegasus and Predator spyware provide remote access to device microphones, cameras, messages, location data, and app communications while bypassing device security and operating covertly.

Both NSO Group and Cytrox/Intellexa face US Treasury sanctions for surveillance technology abuses and are prohibited from American business dealings.

Opposition criticism highlights accountability gaps

Peter Bunting, Manchester Central MP and former National Security Minister, has led sustained criticism of Jamaica's Israeli partnerships since 2019. Bunting warned Jamaicans to be "vigilant in the face of what he says could be a plan by Government to invade people's privacy, using high-end Israeli spy technology."

He highlighted that "billions of dollars" had been allocated for cybersecurity following PM Holness's 2017 Israel visit, with critics noting "two years' time we still can't hear what that trip was about."

The opposition warned that Israeli firms have provided surveillance capabilities to governments that have used them to "spy on their political opponents," "spy on the media," and "spy on human rights activists."

Bunting described Israeli spyware as software that "can be used to infect the phone... read yuh WhatsApp messages, and reveal what is on your phone."

Julian Robinson, opposition spokesman on science and technology, has raised multiple parliamentary questions about Jamaica's arrangements with Israeli companies, with the opposition "heavily prodding for details of the cybersecurity agreements between Jamaica and Israel." Prime Minister Holness has cited national security concerns for reluctance to disclose outcomes from the Israel visit.

Diplomatic consequences force strategic recalibration

Jamaica's absence from a crucial October 27, 2023 UN General Assembly vote calling for a "humanitarian truce" between Israeli forces and Hamas militants drew significant criticism from opposition parties and Caribbean nationals.

The opposition People's National Party described Jamaica's UN voting record as a "new low" in the country's foreign policy history.

Regional pressure within CARICOM ultimately forced Jamaica's hand. On April 22, 2024, Foreign Minister Kamina Johnson Smith announced Jamaica's recognition of Palestine, making it one of the final four CARICOM countries to do so.

The decision followed "concerns regarding the war in Gaza and the ever-deepening humanitarian crisis," with all 14 CARICOM states now recognizing Palestine.

Former US Ambassador Donald Tapia alleged the existence of "an agreement with Israel and Jamaica on some intelligence work that they [Israelis] were going to do. It had to do with cybersecurity."

Reports indicate US concerns about Jamaica's "increasingly warm relationship" with Israel and allegations that Israelis were providing guidance to improve Jamaica's intelligence-gathering capabilities.

ICC developments and regional divergence

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on November 21, 2024, for war crimes and crimes against humanity. While Jamaica voted in favor of September 2024 UN resolutions against Israeli occupation, it has taken no position on ICC compliance.

Belize has emerged as the most assertive Caribbean voice on Palestinian rights, joining "The Hague Group" coalition of nine countries defending international legal institutions.

Belize filed a declaration to join South Africa's genocide case at the International Court of Justice and suspended diplomatic relations with Israel. Jamaica's moderate approach contrasts sharply with Belize's assertive stance and reflects continued balancing between Israeli partnerships and regional solidarity.

Critical gaps in legislative oversight

Jamaica's Interception of Communications Act is inadequate for modern surveillance capabilities, according to critics who note the delayed Data Protection Act leaves gaps in privacy protections.

No comprehensive legal framework exists for oversight of surveillance technology acquisitions, despite the J$4-billion contract representing significant public expenditure.

The Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society strongly criticized Jamaica's UN vote against Israel, calling Jamaica's position "beyond disappointing" and requesting a clear policy statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

However, organized civil society response specifically to Jamaica's Israel partnerships remains limited compared to the sustained opposition political criticism.

Conclusion

Jamaica's digital entanglement with Israeli intelligence operations represents a significant evolution in the country's security architecture, with J$4-billion in contracts, high-level diplomatic cooperation, and ongoing intelligence-sharing arrangements that have strained traditional relationships and forced diplomatic recalibration.

The partnerships operate with minimal transparency and inadequate legislative oversight, while documented surveillance technology deployment in the broader Caribbean raises serious questions about democratic accountability and human rights protections.

The sustained opposition criticism, diplomatic consequences, and regional divergence on Israeli policies suggest Jamaica's digital entanglement reflects broader tensions between security cooperation and democratic oversight that will likely intensify as these partnerships deepen.

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