Israel/Palestine
Related: About this forumIsrael Won’t Stop Spying on the U.S.
Whatever happened to honor among thieves? When the National Security Agency was caught eavesdropping on German Chancellor Angela Merkels cell phone, it was considered a rude way to treat a friend. Now U.S. intelligence officials are sayingalbeit very quietly, behind closed doors on Capitol Hillthat our Israeli friends have gone too far with their spying operations here.
According to classified briefings on legislation that would lower visa restrictions on Israeli citizens, Jerusalems efforts to steal U.S. secrets under the cover of trade missions and joint defense technology contracts have crossed red lines.
Israels espionage activities in America are unrivaled and unseemly, counterspies have told members of the House Judiciary and Foreign Affairs committees, going far beyond activities by other close allies, such as Germany, France, the U.K. and Japan. A congressional staffer familiar with a briefing last January called the testimony very sobering
alarming
even terrifying. Another staffer called it damaging.
The Jewish states primary target: Americas industrial and technical secrets.
No other country close to the United States continues to cross the line on espionage like the Israelis do, said a former congressional staffer who attended another classified briefing in late 2013, one of several in recent months given by officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the State Department, the FBI and the National Counterintelligence Directorate.
http://www.newsweek.com/israel-wont-stop-spying-us-249757
Scuba
(53,475 posts)harrose
(380 posts)n/t
shaayecanaan
(6,068 posts)The countries of the UKUSA alliance have agreed to certain red lines. For example, the US CIA does not recruit citizens of Britain, Australia, Canada or New Zealand to spy on their own governments.
Australia in particular is quite deferential to the US, mainly because its close intelligence relationship with the US is its prime asset.
Jonathan Pollard, the analyst that spied for Israel, actually offered to shop secrets to the Australian government as well. The Australians, fearing it was some kind of honey pot trap set by the CIA, recalled the officer that Pollard approached and later disclosed the incident to the US.
King_David
(14,851 posts)Except for looking for lost aeroplanes they not even G7.
shaayecanaan
(6,068 posts)Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)By Barak Ravid | May 6, 2014
Israel on Tuesday condemned claims in a Newsweek report that it engages in massive and aggressive spying on the U.S.
The article quoted confidential briefings by American intelligence officials to Congress, in which they said that Israeli espionage operations in the U.S. have "gone too far."
The article caused anger in Jerusalem and the Israeli embassy in Washington was instructed to protest the allegations to the U.S. government.
The spokesman for the Israeli embassy in Washington Aharon Sagi said the report was false.
"Israel doesn't conduct espionage operations in the United States, period," he said. "We condemn the fact that such outrageous false allegations are being directed against Israel."
The Newsweek article explained that intelligence officials cite Israel's massive spying as the reason for the failure to provide visa waivers to Israelis entering U.S.
The intelligence assessments were given in confidential briefings to a number of congressional committees dealing with proposed legislation that would lower visa restrictions on Israeli citizens wishing to enter the U.S., according to the report.
Israel spies on the U.S. under the cover of trade missions or as part of joint defense technology agreements between the two countries, the intelligence officials reportedly told Congress. "Israel has crossed red lines," Newsweek reported the officials as saying.
American counter-intelligence officials told members of the House Judiciary and Foreign Affairs committees at the end of January that Israel's espionage activities in America are "unrivaled and unseemly," going far beyond the activities of other close allies, such as Germany, France, the U.K. and Japan.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.589252