ALBAWABA - A report citing current and former American officials said concerns inside the U.S. defense establishment over alleged Israeli intelligence activities had created a new source of stress in relations between Washington and Tel Aviv.
The Pentagon has recently raised its counterintelligence assessment of Israel to the most serious threat level amid fears Israeli intelligence agencies are ramping up efforts to collect information about senior U.S. officials and policy-making concerning conflicts in the Middle East, NBC News reported.
The report, citing an internal assessment by the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency, described Israeli intelligence capabilities in both human espionage and technology monitoring as being at a “critical” level. It reportedly cited a number of occurrences that have fueled growing worry among American security experts.
U.S. officials are particularly concerned about efforts to get insight into internal discussions within President Donald Trump’s administration, notably over policy decisions linked to Iran and the wider regional war, according to sources familiar with the situation.
The alleged concerns come as political friction between Washington and Tel Aviv mounts over the handling of the Iran file and Israeli military activities in Lebanon. Officials said Israel has shown considerable interest in knowing if the United States will seek further military action against Iran or stick to a diplomatic course, the report quoted officials as saying.
Intelligence gathering among allies is routine, but several current and former U.S. officials are said to have claimed that recent Israeli activity has crossed the line normally seen between close partners.
American officials apparently take extra security precautions when they travel to Israel, such as using temporary communication devices and more stringent rules for discussions about sensitive material, as a safeguard.
Israeli officials denied the claims. An Israeli Embassy spokesman in Washington rejected as "totally untrue" allegations of Israeli spying against the United States. The Pentagon declined to comment and a White House spokesman denied the allegation as false.
The charges mirror previous espionage disagreements between the two partners, including the Jonathan Pollard case that strained bilateral relations in the 1980s.
Officials acknowledged reported concerns, but said intelligence collaboration between the United States and Israel remained robust, especially monitoring developments connected to Iran and regional security.
