Israel condemns US spying revelations

[Jesus Malverde]

Source: AP

Officials call on US to stop spying on Israel amid renewed calls for release of Jonathan Pollard, jailed in 1980s for spying

Senior Israeli officials have called on the US to stop spying on Israel, following revelations that the National Security Agency intercepted emails from the offices of the country's former leaders.

It was the first time Israeli officials have expressed anger since details of US spying on Israel began to trickle out in documents leaked by the former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. The scandal also spurred renewed calls for the release of Jonathan Pollard, a former American intelligence analyst who has been imprisoned in the US for nearly three decades for spying for Israel.

"This thing is not legitimate," the Israeli intelligence minister, Yuval Steinitz, told Israel Radio. He called for both countries to enter an agreement regarding espionage.

"It's quite embarrassing between countries who are allies," the tourism minister, Uzi Landau, said. "It's this moment more than any other moment that Jonathan Pollard [should] be released."



Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/22/israel-condemns-us-spying-nsa-edward-snowden

[geek tragedy]

1. Chutzpah. nt

[treestar]

3. +1

Geez. My first thought was eff off. Are they kidding? Cut the aid.

[on point]

14. Agreed. That is a quick 5billion /yr savings. Might force them to cut back on settlements too

[SoapBox]

9. +10

[Helen Borg]

2. Ahah!

"Senior Israeli officials have called on the US to stop spying on Israel"
I'm sure Israel is not spying on the US.

[Dakota Flint]

4. yeah right....

I wished the kettle would stop calling us black....

signed

Pot

[Joe Bacon]

5. Yawn...

Like Mossad hasn't been doing the same thing here...

[QuestForSense]

6. Then this latest contretemps came as a complete surprise?

US Furious at Israel Equipment Transfer to China

The new affair, revealed here for the first time, is not connected to last week's revelations, based on documents leaked by a former employee of the NSA, according to which the USA had eavesdropped on senior Israeli officials.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/175404#.UrcX95G9XOE

Oh, of course not. But calling for Pollard's early release as reciprocity for the eavesdropping seems bizarre. He's eligible for parole in November 2015.

[Jesus Malverde]

7. That they hosted the Chinese foreign minister days before this announcement

Tells volumes about where their heads are at.

The effusive praise and deferential diplomacy comes into focus...The emphasis on technology transfers, like spit in our face.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017165672

[2banon]

8. Actually Israel.. We need to Keep Up the Spying and Eavesdropping on you.

You are completely and utterly UNTRUSTWORTHY. No Ally to the United States, and we need to cut off all aid and expose/dismantle your arsenal of nuclear weapons - paid for by U.S. taxpayers.

[warrant46]

12. How many nuclear weapons do they have ? I saw somewhere 200 ?

[2banon]

17. that number is interesting...

I heard a report on npr that cited something close to that 200 range in past couple of weeks or so,


However, that number is in the range of what former Israeli nuclear technician turned whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu revealed to the world several years ago, which of course Israel vehemently denied and so did our media. But that number represented what existed years ago.. There is no doubt in my mind that number has been far surpassed at this point in time.

[warrant46]

19. I wonder if they will use a few

And if they do what will the US do?

[2banon]

20. they've had the capability to nuke the entire region to blitherings

for years.... which is why I suspect Iran has wanted to have the capability (assumptions are mine) to strike back, given the geopolitical tensions over the decades and especially this past decade..

It would be psychotic for Israeli to launch nuclear strikes imo, but ya know Bibi seems a bit touched in that regard..

Your guess is as good as mine as to U.S. reactions. scary to think about.

[iandhr]

10. Pot meet kettle

[GoneFishin]

25. +1. My exact thought. n/t

[rpannier]

11. Pollard is a traitor and should not be released

A number of officials strongly suspect that the Israelis repackaged much of Pollard's material and provided it to the Soviet Union in exchange for continued Soviet permission for Jews to emigrate to Israel. Other officials go further, and say there was reason to believe that secret information was exchanged for Jews working in highly sensitive positions in the Soviet Union. A significant percentage of Pollard's documents, including some that described the techniques the American Navy used to track Soviet submarines around the world, was of practical importance only to the Soviet Union. One longtime C.I.A. officer who worked as a station chief in the Middle East said he understood that "certain elements in the Israeli military had used it" -- Pollard's material -- "to trade for people they wanted to get out," including Jewish scientists working in missile technology and on nuclear issues. Pollard's spying came at a time when the Israeli government was publicly committed to the free flow of Jewish emigres from the Soviet Union.

This info was verified with the fall of the Soviet Union

[2banon]

22. very interesting, I only have a vague awareness of the Pollard case, though I know it was major news

It largely difficult for me to take in.

[Recursion]

13. Bwah.

That's rich.

[Jesus Malverde]

15. Netanyahu moves to calm clamor over U.S. spying allegations

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu moved on Sunday to avoid friction with the United States over allegations it spied on Israeli leaders, slapping down demands in his cabinet to press Washington for redress.

Several Israeli cabinet members and lawmakers latched onto the reported U.S. espionage as an opportunity to call on Washington to free jailed Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard.

Allegations of U.S. spying on Israelis emerged on Friday based on documents leaked by former U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden.

Pollard, a former U.S. Navy intelligence analyst, was sentenced to a life term in 1987 in the United States for spying for Israel. A succession of U.S. presidents have spurned Israeli calls for his pardon.

"The United States is systematically spying against Israel's political and security leadership," said Transport Minister Yisrael Katz, demanding a U.S. commitment to stop the espionage and to release Pollard immediately.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/netanyahu-moves-calm-clamor-over-u-spying-allegations-141111340.html

[2banon]

24. boo hoo..

"The United States is systematically spying against Israel's political and security leadership," said Transport Minister Yisrael Katz,

as well we should be, given this history.

[DeSwiss]

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[Historic NY]

18. Really...

lets stop gving them money.

[Behind the Aegis]

21. How predictable.

[Jesus Malverde]

23. News Roundup

US spying gives momentum to free Pollard effort
http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Despite-pleas-for-clemency-Obama-declines-to-pardon-Pollard-335740

Officials demand Pollard release in light of US spying
http://www.timesofisrael.com/officials-demand-pollard-release-in-light-of-us-spying/

U.S. spied on Israel? Free Pollard, demand Israeli parliamentarians
http://www.haaretz.com/.premium-1.564839

In Israel, officials use U.S. spying revelation to bring new focus to Pollard case
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/in-israel-officials-use-us-spying-revelation-to-bring-new-focus-to-pollard-case/2013/12/22/dcba213e-6b31-11e3-b405-7e360f7e9fd2_story.html

Israel slams reports of U.S. spying on prime minister
http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/22/world/meast/israel-nsa-spying/

Israeli ministers demand US stop spying following revelations that NSA intercepted emails
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/12/22/israeli-ministers-demand-us-stop-spying-following-revelations-officials-emails/

Analysis: Why has Netanyahu been silent over NSA spying on Israel?
http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Analysis-Why-has-Netanyahu-been-silent-over-NSA-spying-on-PMs-335843

U.S. rented apartment to spy on Israel’s defense minister
http://www.jta.org/2013/12/22/news-opinion/israel-middle-east/report-u-s-rented-apartment-to-spy-on-defense-minister-ehud-barak

U.S., Israel can relax: Spying on allies is older than the Jewish state itself
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.564866

Israel On NSA Spying: So What?
http://www.businessinsider.com/israel-on-nsa-spying-so-what-2013-12

Israel Demands End to US Spying
http://www.voanews.com/content/israel-demands-end-to-us-spying/1815440.html

Israeli Intelligence Minister Calls for U.S. to Set Spying Rules
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-12-22/israeli-intelligence-minister-calls-for-u-dot-s-dot-to-set-spying-rules

Israel reacts angrily over reports of U.S. spying on Netanyahu
http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/israel-reacts-angrily-over-reports-of-usa-spying-on-netanyahu/article/364483