Report: Pentagon Puts Israeli Spying on U.S. Risk at Highest Level, Sources Say

Editorial note: Israel unhappy with any indication that peace is in the offing. Boots on the ground and a forever war for Israel. And a continuation of the decades-long campaign to spy on the U.S.

Haaretz: The Pentagon circulated an internal memo that Israel may be monitoring senior U.S. officials to obtain information about internal deliberations on the war with Iran, NBC reported

The Pentagon has raised its counterintelligence threat assessment for Israel to the highest level, citing concerns that the close U.S. ally has stepped up efforts to spy on American officials, according to a report on NBC citing two current U.S. officials and a former official.

The Defense Intelligence Agency recently issued a classification at the highest level in an internal assessment amid rising tensions over the war with Iran, while Israel denied the allegations, according to the report.

According to the sources, the move stems from tensions between Israel and the U.S. regarding the continuation of the war with Iran, as well as concerns within the Pentagon that Israel may be seeking to monitor senior U.S. officials to obtain information about internal deliberations on the issue.

The Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency published a seven-page report, assessing that Israel’s human and technical espionage capabilities are at a “critical level”, according to NBC, citing a current U.S. official.

Current and former diplomats and national security officials said Israel has long been viewed within Washington as an aggressive intelligence-gathering actor, even targeting the United States. The issue has remained a recurring concern among American security and diplomatic circles, with U.S. intelligence agencies continuing to keep a close watch on it. As mentioned in the NBC report, senior U.S. officials traveling to Israel often adopt enhanced security measures, including the use of temporary electronic devices and heightened discretion in private conversations.

A spokesperson for the Israeli embassy in Washington called the report “completely false.”

“Israel does not collect intelligence on U.S. entities, and certainly not on government employees,” the spokesperson told NBC. “Israel’s intelligence-gathering efforts are directed at its adversaries, not its allies. Any claim to the contrary is based on misinformation or is being promoted for political reasons.”

The Pentagon declined to comment on NBC’s inquiry. A senior White House official described the report as false, saying it originated from someone “who does not know what is going on.”