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Pentagon raises Israel's espionage threat level to 'critical' amid tensions with US - report

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The Pentagon has reportedly elevated its assessment of Israeli espionage against the U.S. to 'critical' due to tensions over the war with Iran.
  • An internal Defense Intelligence Agency memo allegedly cites Israeli agents potentially surveilling top U.S. officials for information on Middle East conflict decisions.
  • Israel's embassy in Washington has vehemently denied the report, calling it 'completely false' and stating that its intelligence efforts target enemies, not allies.

The Pentagon has reportedly raised its assessment of Israeli espionage activities against the United States to the highest possible level, designating it as 'critical.' This escalation, reported by NBC News citing two U.S. officials, stems from growing tensions between Israeli and American officials regarding the ongoing conflict with Iran and its proxy groups.

critical

— Defense Intelligence Agency (internal memo)The reported designation of Israel's espionage threat level against the U.S.

According to the officials, an internal memo from the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) allegedly elevated the threat level posed by Israel. The primary concern appears to be the potential for Israeli agents to surveil high-ranking U.S. officials. This surveillance would aim to gather information on the Trump administration's strategic decisions concerning the Middle East conflict. The DIA assessment reportedly includes a detailed seven-page brief with charts, as per the NBC sources.

completely false

— Israeli Embassy in WashingtonDenying the report about Israeli espionage against the U.S.

However, both the Israeli Embassy in Washington and a White House official have strongly refuted the report. The Israeli Embassy issued a statement calling the espionage claims "completely false," asserting that "Israel does not gather intelligence on American entities, let alone U.S. government officials." The statement further clarified that Israel's intelligence collection is focused on its adversaries, not its allies, and any contrary claims are either misinformed or politically motivated.

Israel does not gather intelligence on American entities, let alone US government officials.

— Israeli Embassy in WashingtonStating the embassy's position on Israeli intelligence gathering.

A White House official also told NBC that the story was "false and sourced to someone who doesn’t have any knowledge of what’s going on." The Pentagon declined to comment on the report, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees the DIA, did not respond to NBC's request for comment.

Israel intelligence collection efforts are aimed at its enemies, not its allies. Any claims to the contrary are either misinformed or politically motivated.

— Israeli Embassy in WashingtonFurther clarifying the focus of Israeli intelligence operations.
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Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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