While Israel may have a great deal of explaining to do, the report that Israeli intelligence eavesdropped on US Secretary of State John Kerry may explain a number of events that have left relations strained between Washington and Jerusalem.

According to the Spiegel Online International report, Israeli intelligence officials listened in to conversations held by Kerry to get an insight of what is really going on in the talks with the PA (Palestinian Authority).

The report quotes a “reliable source”, which states that another intelligence service in addition to Israel was listening in to Kerry’s conversations too while the senior US official was brokering talks between Israel and the PA last year. If the report is indeed credible, one can expect an additional decline in the already strained relationship that exists between Israel and the United States today.

During intense periods of negotiating, Kerry was speaking with the most senior PA leadership and persons involved in the talks. Spiegel adds at times calls were made on regular non-encrypted lines and the conversations were transferred by satellite. Some of those calls were picked up by Israel, permitting Jerusalem to use the information in the ongoing negotiations.

It must be pointed out that despite reported strained relations between the countries of late surrounding Kerry’s contacts with Qatar – hoping to broker a Gaza ceasefire, the US Congress voted to help fund Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system to the tune of $225 million.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)