Congress, International, Media

Report: Israel Planted Surveillance Devices Near White House But Trump Administration Buried Story


The U.S. government has often denounced countries that have been found to have spied on the United States. While Israel has always denied spying on the United States, it has been repeatedly found to have done so including the case of Jonathan Pollard. After the release of Pollard, Israeli officials again reassured Americans that it did not engage in spying on the United States. However, a new report states that Israel planted cell-phone surveillance devices near the White House and other sensitive locations around Washington, D.C. However, the Trump Administration buried the story and made no public disclosure. President Trump has said that he simply cannot believe that Israel would ever spy on the United States and that he assumes that the devices were planted by another country. In the meantime, the United States recently gave billions more to Israel in aid and took the controversial step of moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem in a showing of solidarity. Israel denies that it placed the surveillance devices in the locations.

The miniature surveillance devices known as “StingRays,” effectively trick cell phones in revealing confidential information. The belief is that Israel was spying on President Trump and his top aides. Trump has been criticized for being lax on White House security protocols.

Members of Congress seem to be largely avoiding the story for the same reason as the White House, particularly as the Congress continued to give massive aid to Israel. Since Israel obviously knows that the devices were found, the burying of the story is curious. The White House and key members of Congress were informed but not the public.

163 thoughts on “Report: Israel Planted Surveillance Devices Near White House But Trump Administration Buried Story”

  1. Well, the Israelis deserve an Irish Poem!

    The White House Lawn Pest Aside???
    An Irish Poem by Squeeky Fromm

    There once was a group called Mossad,
    Who planted some bugs in the sod!
    Not the kind we don’t like,
    But some bugs with a mike!
    But I think it was okayed by God!

    Squeeky Fromm
    Girl Reporter

    1. Actually Tom, most of the comments regarding the reliability of the reporting. If we are to believe Anon1, only the following are to be trusted and I haven’t seen any of them reporting on this. Why do you suppose that is?

      serious news media (in America that is headed by the NYTs, WaPo, WSJ, and AP) sell reliability and accuracy on the front page with confirmation on the editorial page (It’s doubtful he knows the difference).

  3. GOP Environmentalists Strengthen Protections For Clean Water

    “WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Thursday announced the repeal of a major Obama-era clean water regulation that had placed limits on polluting chemicals that could be used near streams, wetlands and other bodies of water.

    The rollback of the 2015 measure, known as the Waters of the United States rule, adds to a lengthy list of environmental rules that the administration has worked to weaken or undo over the past two and a half years. Those efforts have focused heavily on eliminating restrictions on fossil fuel pollution, including coal-fired power plants, automobile tailpipes and oil and gas leaks, but have also touched on asbestos and chemical hazards like pesticides.

    An immediate effect of the repeal is that polluters will no longer need a permit to discharge potentially harmful substances into many streams and wetlands. But the measure, which is expected to take effect in a matter of weeks, has implications far beyond the pollution that will now be allowed to flow freely into waterways….”

    https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/12/climate/trump-administration-rolls-back-clean-water-protections.html

    Karen will be very proud and young voters will now reconsider which party favors responsible stewardship of ourresources.

  4. Politico? Turley is citing an article in Politico?

    Testing our naivety, I suppose…

  5. I haven’t read all the comments but I think it important that people recognize that the Politico article cited by Turley was updated. I’m not sure if Turley read the original report or the updated one. Daniel Benjamin had no knowledge of Israeli spying and he spoke to what seems to be only one individual that was a former official and I beleive remains unnamed. The article further states that: “Benjamin, who emphasized that he was not aware of the FBI’s investigation into the cell-phone spoofing”.

    I think Turley might be having some difficulty in focusing and could be suffering from TDS based on his recent postings. I came to this site because I admired Turley.

    From Politico: “This article has been updated to clarify that Daniel Benjamin had no knowledge of the alleged Israeli spying, and that the Israeli official he was speaking with was a former official at the time of their conversation.”

    1. – The U.S. government concluded within the past two years that Israel was most likely behind the placement of cellphone surveillance devices…
      – The devices were likely intended to spy on President Donald Trump,..though it’s not clear whether the Israeli efforts were successful…
      – Based on a detailed forensic analysis, the FBI and other agencies working on the case felt confident that Israeli agents had placed the devices,…
      – It was pretty clear that the Israelis were responsible,…
      – the Israelis were most likely responsible for the devices,…the Trump administration took no action to punish or even privately scold the Israeli government.

      Wow, no slant in this story. Imagine telling the President maybe, possibly, almost certainly, most likely, confidently, that his good buddy was spying on him. It’s shocking I tell you, based on this weaselly report, that he didn’t have Netanyahu frog-marched across the White House lawn and flown off to Gitmo. Just spit-balling here, but maybe, just maybe President Trump doesn’t invite reporters to attend his private scolding sessions with foreign leaders.

  6. The belief is that Israel was spying on President Trump and his top aides…Israel denies that it placed the surveillance devices in the locations.

    You can rest assured a Turley article that is not written for eyes outside his blog will look like this. This style is akin to airplanes took aim… His The Hill style would be akin to the NYT’s subsequent correction.

  7. Israeli surveillance of Trump is neither surprising nor irrational. The Netanyahu administration is certainly aware that Trump’s fawning support of whatever Israel elects to do is not the product of serious policy considerations or, God help us, “sincerely held religious beliefs.” It is rather meat thrown to nourish the support of the religious right with its eschatological dreams.

    1. “Israeli surveillance of Trump is neither surprising nor irrational.”

      God gave those on the “religious right” and the communist left eyes and ears; what level of arrogance would presume surprise at the discovery of surveillance of anything and everything by everyone?
      ______________________________________________________

      “It is rather meat thrown to nourish the support of the religious right with its eschatological dreams.”

      Are those of an eschatological nature dreams or nightmares?

    2. I’m simply not as cynical as you are. I see zero evidence that Trump is not sincere in his support for Israel. I know that many people will always try to denigrate anything Trump does. Of course, my view may stem from the fact that Trumps position on Israel mirrors my own. T
      rump has Jewish grandchildren.

      1. I am certain that Trump loves his grandchildren. However, I have not seen evidence of coherence with respect to his foreign policy decisions. I believe that Netanyahu regards evangelical Christians as useful idiots in his annexation designs. He obviously does not share evangelical views regarding the consequences for Jewish people who decline to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.

  8. Pingback: Report: Israel Planted Surveillance Devices Near White House But Trump Administration Buried Story – Legal Service for Business

  9. This column and the responses reflect three truths of human nature:

    1. Those who control the reins of government love to operate in secret as much as possible.
    2. “Undisclosed sources” remain an essential tool in the journalist’s toolbox for revealing what governments seek to hide.
    3. Those who protest the loudest against the use of “undisclosed sources” prefer to vent their displeasure anonymously.

    1. “Undisclosed sources” are an essential tool for journalists wishing to publish fictions that they fancy.

      1. It’s a nonsense complaint on your part. I’m a random hobbyist and no one quotes me authoritatively.

        You, sir, are operating under the illusion that people employed by news organizations have some modicum of integrity.

        1. “Random hobbyist”? I believe you are rather more like the random teenager who eggs a home and then runs when the owner opens the front door.

          1. I believe you are r

            Well, you’re not insightful. Glad I’m not one of your clients.

            1. I share your joy, although I do not actually know whether you are being truthful. LOL.

          3. TIA is definitely a cowardly hit and run type but sources say he is an invalid wheelchair bound old creep who mows down people

      2. TIA is too stupid to understand that serious news media (in America that is headed by the NYTs, WaPo, WSJ, and AP) sell reliability and accuracy on the front page with confirmation on the editorial page (It’s doubtful he knows the difference). An “unnamed source” quoted by serious news media carries it’s authority as being checked and validated as legitimate and knowledgeable. Given the bad news about his leader – an ignorant, lying, low life – zombies like TIA have no other recourse than rejecting the news, and in this they are encouraged by their master. In the meantime, serious people continue to rely on these – and other – sources because reliability is what they sell.

            1. David Benson is the God Emperor of Making Stuff Up and owes me twenty-five citations (one from the OED, one from the town ordinances and two from the Old Testament), an equation and the source of a quotation, after forty-three weeks, and needs to cite all his work from now on. – you won’t even walk to the university library to get my citation from the OED, Where are you going to walk to convert the currency?

        2. TIA is too stupid to understand that serious news media (in America that is headed by the NYTs, WaPo, WSJ, and AP) sell reliability and accuracy on the front page with confirmation on the editorial pag

          My personal favorite among the Sulzbergers’ exercises in reliability and accuracy was their three dozen stories about the membership policies of a golf club in Augusta, Ga. Then there was this little exercise in ‘reliability and accuracy’

          http://durhamwonderland.blogspot.com/2007/04/duff-wilsons-new-version.html

          Robert Mueller’s serial failures (or should I say Andrew Weismann’s, given that Mueller professes never to have heard of Fusion GPS and hasn’t read the report to which his name is attached) were a rude surprise to those who thought Jeff Bezos was selling ‘reliability and accuracy’ all those years.

          I last remember being conscious of the AP when Hugh Hewitt was taking them apart for being extensions of John Kerry’s press office.

    4. “3. Those who protest the loudest… ”

      Number three might be a bit gratuitous in an attempt to show displeasure at those that are fed up with anonymous sources because a Russia hoax was dependent upon them for Trump’s entire Presidency. I am sure, most of the people when expressing their feelings elsewhere, do so in a non anonymous manner. Don’t your friends know who you are when you talk to them? 🙂

      1. There is nothing hoax like about the Trump campaign and Russia, and his protection of Putin against his own intelligence agencies and the FBI mean his collusion is ongoing. Anyone who read even summation of the Mueller report would know that.

          1. David Benson is the God Emperor of Making Stuff Up and owes me twenty-five citations (one from the OED, one from the town ordinances and two from the Old Testament), an equation and the source of a quotation, after forty-three weeks, and needs to cite all his work from now on. – we know that Mueller didn’t read it.

          2. David, I agree with you. Anon cannot read sufficiently well and that is why he makes so many dumb statements.

              1. Yes many might think Anon is a she but is actually a he. He matches anonymous on the intelligence scale.

        2. There is nothing hoax like about the Trump campaign and Russia,

          I gather they told you to keep hammering even if it makes you look ridiculous.

          1. TIA and Paul’s obvious ignorance are what happens to people who can’t handle the truth. Apparently neither can either cite or critique the Mueller Report findings – much of which we have largely known from independent sources through the NYTs, WaPo, and WSJ – but which they are still ignorant of.

            1. Anon1 – none of the papers you have listed are independent sources. They all conspired with Comey or Mueller during the prob. And they got it wrong. The Grey Lady even admitted it spent 2 years getting it wrong. Now they are dedicated to calling Trump a racist.

              1. Paul, the papers I listed ran one front page article after another on Hillary’s emails and Comey’s October surprise. Nothing of significance in their reporting or in the Mueller report on your leader’s sleazy and illegal behavior has been seriously challenged. Maybe you can give us a citation or shut up.

                  1. Thanks for that complete fail Paul. Can we stop with your “citation” pretense now? You already surrendered

                    2. Anon1 – Mueller said that after spending tons of money, interviewing lots of witnesses, trying to corrupt witnesses, found nothing on Donald J. Trump.

                    3. Paul, thanks fir that demonstration of your ignorance on the Mueller Report. To be expected of course given your inability to handle the truth and purposeful avoidance of it.

        3. Trump does a lot of things you don’t like. That you don’t like those things doesn’t make him guilty of any crime or wrongdoing. You have been asked countless of times to provide a list of things, why they are criminal and then proof. You never have and neither did Mueller.

          You have a lot of excuses that don’t hold water. The evidence today shows something else was going on and it looks like some of the people you like were very much involved.

          1. Another fool who has neither read the report or an accurate summation of it, but accepts his master’s false summary. I advise you do that, though we both know you can’t handle it.

            1. Anon, I read the summary and large parts of the report. This demonstrates the difference between you and I. I can read. You cannot.

  10. Oh grow up, Turley! You can’t fart in Washington, DC without half the world knowing about it. Has it occurred to you that it was not announced publicly so that other actors doing the same thing would not be alerted?

    “The White House and key members of Congress were informed but not the public.” There you go beating that pesky ‘the public has a right to know’ drum. Much as I try I can’t find a thing about the public having the right to know in the Constitution. The public has a right to try to find out whatever it wants (free press) but it doesn’t have a right to know everything all of the time.

    And Jill……would you like some dressing for that word salad you produce?

    1. I wonder what the provenance is for this story. It would be stupid for Israel to potentially provoke their greatest ally and friend. The possible gain is in no way commensurate with the possible loss.

  12. personally im not worried aboutg israeli stingrays im worried about american LE stingrays which they supposedly can use on us without even so much as a warrant. that sucks worse than the Israelis spying on whomever is in the white house, which is rather to be expected, like other forms of espionage

      1. Rather, look to Comey, he would know, and he’s a proven leaker. This is a CI story not an intel story. CIA is intel, FBI is counter intel

  14. the Politico article linked in your post has a comment you failed to mention, Jonathan:

    “The devices were likely intended to spy on President Donald Trump, one of the former officials said, as well as his top aides and closest associates — though it’s not clear whether the Israeli efforts were successful.”

    likely? former official? not clear?

    Your students at GW are getting a raw deal with you as their purfessur if your blog is an indication of the content you peddle. Your pristine life reflects one detached from normal Americans yet your blog is as shill as NYT, WaPo, Breitbart and Fox all rolled into one screaming cash register

  15. Israel has bought off or compromised most high level politicians in the US. They do as they are told because of this fact.

    If you read up on the PROMIS software and now Carbyne911, it is clear that Mossad has thoroughly infiltrated USG and USG/International corporations. They spy on the people of the US as well as the government/corporate leaders. Here is documentation on this: https://www.mintpressnews.com/cia-israel-mossad-jeffrey-epstein-orwellian-nightmare/261692/ You can also read James Bamford on this subject.

    We the people should no more support the nation of Israel engaging in massive illegal spying against our government and people than we would any other nation. We should demand the withdraw of financial aid to Israel and refuse to support their wars of aggression.

    The US govt. will never change unless we the people change it through use of non violent protest and withdraw of funding. We need to oust the compromised/corrupt political/military/media/tech/oligarchic class and restore the Constitution’s protections of our rights.

    1. Israel has bought off or compromised most high level politicians in the U

      No, Jill. The politicians have normal dispositions and are congenially motivated toward Israel. You are a perverse admirer of every kind of vicious cause, and are hostile to Israel. You don’t understand normal people, because you are abnormal.

      1. “You don’t understand normal people, because you are abnormal.”

        a clear case of projection

        1. Diane’s got the assisted living center staff to help her make the rounds of the local Starbucks.

            1. He calls everyone Diane who contradicts his hypocrisy

              It has been mentioned on this blog that TIA is confined at home, is unable to lead a normal life interacting with others and spends his remaining years of life trolling the internet including Facebook, political forums and conservative catholic blogs who hate Pope Francis run by people he supposedly knows

              it’s a sad existence to know your life revolves around the internet but that’s the new normal for some

              – not Diane

              🙂

  16. A post on Israel. The Professor is trying to suss out Autumn and Princess Trohar.

  17. ouch. well how about those dancing israelis? or all the art students ejected that one year?
    i thought of them yesterday. the moving vans, odigo, etc etc. Nothing to see here folks, keep moving!

  18. The Israeli’s must be slipping if we found the devices. The real question is, how long were they there? We know that Obama and Hillary were notorious for bad phone security.

  20. Moving the embassy to Jerusalem was “a controversy”? Yeah. Maybe the muslim countires will move their emabassy’s from DC to NY because there are more muslims in NY.

    Stingrays. Put them around and gather what you can. Like what the CIA does in Israel. Or what the CIA does in London.

    When London Bridge is falling down they can move to Moscow.

    I spy. You spy. We all spy.

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