A document has surfaced from the intelligence budget that confirms what many have said for years: Israel continues to spy on the United States despite massive levels of U.S. aid and support. Israel is listed as one of the key targets for counterintelligence effort with China, Russian, Iran, and Cuba. Even as Israel continues to pressure the United States for the release of American Jonathan Pollard, an Israeli spy convicted in 1987, the report indicates that Israel is continuing to target the United States with espionage.

The acknowledgement of the Israeli espionage is an embarrassment for the powerful pro-Israel lobby in Washington, which only a few years ago saw two ranking figures in AIPAC accused of criminal receipt of classified information. Georgetown University’s Paul Pillar stated “everything is trumped by political realities” and there will be a full-court press among allies in Congress and government to bury this story.

The document states “To further safeguard our classified networks, we continue to strengthen insider threat detection capabilities across the Community,” reads the FY 2013 congressional budget justification for intelligence programs. “In addition, we are investing in target surveillance and offensive CI [counterintelligence] against key targets, such as China, Russia, Iran, Israel, Pakistan and Cuba.”

The political danger of the story is obvious when we are continuing to give Israel billions in aid even as we curtail and cancel educational, scientific, and environmental programs for lack of funding in the United States like just $1 million to save a species in Nevada. By the way, that other big recipient of U.S. funds — Pakistan — is also on the list as a major intelligence threat to the United States.

Source: The Hill