This article was originally published by Lance D. Johnson at Natural News. 

The digital tools millions trust daily—photo editors, casual games, taxi hailers—hide a dark secret: They were crafted by Israeli spies turned tech moguls, funneling profits into apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and the ongoing genocide in Gaza. As Israel wages war under the banner of Zionism, its militarized economy thrives on apps that mine your data, normalize surveillance, and bankroll atrocities. This bombshell investigation exposes the covert Israeli app empire, revealing how even the most innocent downloads fuel a regime built on occupation and bloodshed.

Key points:

• • Hidden owners: Major apps like Facetune, Moovit, and Waze were developed by ex-Israeli military intelligence operatives, laundering their spycraft into Silicon Valley fortunes.

• • Data harvesting risks: These apps often demand intrusive permissions, feeding personal images, locations, and identifiers into Israel’s surveillance-industrial complex.

• • Funding genocide: Companies like Playtika and Crazy Labs openly funnel billions in taxes to Israel’s war economy, with staff actively enlisted in Gaza massacres.

• • Global spyware threat: Behind the apps lies Israel’s Pegasus spyware, sold to dictatorships to crush dissent, murder journalists, and silence Palestinians.

• • Boycott urgency: The BDS movement urges users to purge these apps, breaking Israel’s stranglehold on tech and its economy of occupation.

From military intelligence to your smartphone

Israel’s Unit 8200—a surveillance unit comparable to the NSA—acts as a feeder program for the country’s tech elite. Graduates infiltrate app development, weaponizing civilian software to extract data and revenue. ZipoApps, founded entirely by Unit 8200 veterans, controls photo-editing tools like Collage Maker Photo Editor and Instasquare, boasting over 100 million downloads. Users on Reddit accuse Zipo of bait-and-switch privacy violations, turning open-source apps into paid spyware traps.

Similarly, Facetune, an AI photo editor with 50 million installs, was co-developed by Yaron Inger, who spent five years in Unit 8200. Apple Store reviews warn it’s a “scam,” demanding location tracking and device identifiers. Even ride-hailing apps like Gett and Waze were built by ex-spies, embedding Israel’s military ethos into everyday tech.

“These developers are digital conscripts,” explains a Tel Aviv-based tech whistleblower who requested anonymity. They don’t leave the battlefield—they just monetize it.

Games, gambling, and genocide profits

Israel’s app economy isn’t just invasive—it’s bankrolled by blood money. Playtika, a NASDAQ-listed gaming giant, rakes in $2.5 billion annually from gambling apps while openly bragging about its contributions to Israel’s “economy.” Last year, 14% of its staff were called up as reservists to Gaza, where they participated in the slaughter of over 35,000 Palestinians. CEO Robert Antokol shamelessly declared the company’s taxes “wonderful for the Israeli economy”—a euphemism for funding genocide.

Casual games like Build a Queen and Bridge Race, published by Supersonic (owned by Unity), have billions of downloads. Founder Nadav Ashkenazy helmed operations for the Israeli Air Force, which has dropped tens of thousands of U.S.-supplied bombs on Gaza’s civilian centers. Conquer Countries, another Supersonic title, glorifies expansionism with a cartoon Donald Trump—echoing Israel’s own settler-colonial project.

“Every in-app purchase feeds the war machine,” says investigative journalist Andrew Feinstein. “These aren’t just games—they’re propaganda tools normalizing domination.”

Globalizing apartheid: From Pegasus to your pocket

The app pipeline mirrors Israel’s export of military-grade spyware. NSO Group’s Pegasus, used to murder journalist Jamal Khashoggi and target 50,000 activists worldwide, was developed by Unit 8200 alumni. In 2021, Pegasus infiltrated six Palestinian human rights groups, proving Israel’s tech is designed to crush resistance.

“NSO claims its spyware ‘fights terrorism,’ but it’s never saved a single life,” says Marwa Fatafta of AccessNow. “It exists to prop up dictators and apartheid.”

While Israel markets itself as a “beacon of freedom,” its apps betray the truth: a surveillance state profiting from oppression. From Modi’s India to Orbán’s Hungary, Israel’s tech fuels authoritarianism—and your downloads help it spread.

As Israel escalates its Gaza genocide, your phone shouldn’t be complicit. “Every uninstall is a blow to their economy,” says a BDS coordinator. “Hit them where it hurts—their wallets.”