Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s outspoken policy concerning the Iranian nuclear threat has elicited the ire of many, including the White House. The strain in Israel/US relations culminated with the prime minister addressing the US Congress after being invited by the speaker of the house despite objections from President Barak Obama. Israeli officials have been lobbying Israel’s case on Capitol Hill, including a public campaign against the proposed deal with Iran being brokered by US Secretary of State John Kerry. Some are scratching their heads in an effort to understand how Israel has become so knowledgeable regarding those efforts.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, Israel was spying on the US talks, providing elected American officials with details of the deal, which the Netanyahu administration vehemently opposes. The prime minister and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon have stated on numerous occasions “a bad [US] deal with Iran is worse than no deal”, seemingly knowledgeable concerning details of the proposed agreement between Tehran and Washington.
The report cites that current and former US officials stated PM Netanyahu wanted inside information, information that he used to drum up opposition to the planned agreement. This includes obtaining confidential information from briefings and informants and diplomatic contacts in Europe.
What seems to have President Obama angry is more than the fact that Israel spied, as it is believed Israel and America spy on one another at times, is the fact it is assumed that Mr. Netanyahu shared the classified information with allies in Congress and the president feels the prime minister played a role in undermining US diplomatic efforts.
Ironically, America learned of the Israeli spying while spying on Israeli communications. Officials realized the information held by the Israelis could only have come from the confidential negotiations.
An Israeli official denied the accuracy of the report stating Israel does not spy on the United States or other allies. The Israeli official adds the accusation are intended to compromise the strong relationship maintained by Israel and the United States.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
Dear Mr. Hussein Obama,
Friends don’t spy on one another. They trust one another! But you’ve declared Israel no longer a friend, Mr. Hussein! You can’t have it both ways!
“My good friends, this is the second time there has come back from Germany to Downing Street peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Now I recommend you go home, and sleep quietly in your beds” – Neville Chamberlain after signing the Munich Agreement with Hitler Sept 1938. Read the quote again, he and his political allies truly believed this just as Obama believes that Iran can join the family of nations today.
Had there been any Western Leader during the mid 1930’s who was willing to see Hitler for what he was and take action, 50,000,000 lives of whom at least 20,000,000 were civilians could have been saved.
I am not a prophet. But there is a very good chance that we are there right now. Its dejavu all over again.
The Iranian mullahs chanted “Death to America” as recently as this week. They are obviously seeking destructive power. Who wants to roll the dice to see if they mean it just the way Hitler did?
good old Obama do as I say not as I do. it is okay for Obama to spy but someone else spying…..
guess now Obama will throw more of a temper tantrum
Re Comment No. 1: Do you favor a pardon or clemency for Jonathan Pollard? Do you see any connection between this story, your comment about friends’ not spying on friends, and Mr. Pollard?