YNet quotes Atlantic Council Ambassador-in-Residence Michael Oren on Israel’s response to a Newsweek report that claims that Israeli intelligence officials have “crossed red lines” in the United States:
Former Israeli ambassador to the US Michael Oren also slammed the report, vehemently denying that Israel was still engaged in intelligence-gathering in the US. “Israel hasn’t spied on the US since the Pollard incident,” he said. “Israel doesn’t spy against the US, period.”
Oren also dismissed any accusations that the Israeli government played any role in spying by businesses.
“I don’t know about industrial espionages, there is spying in the business world, but the Israeli government is not behind it,” he said.The former diplomat also called into question the allegations made in the piece, as well as the reliability of the reporting.
“Regarding the report there were two things that were unclear to me,” Oren said. “Are the claims being made against the State of Israel or against Israelis, and who exactly made briefings (the report cites).”He further claimed that relations between the US and Israel’s intelligence services had never been closer “and you can hear that from congress members from both parties.
“Of course there is still apprehension (since the Pollard incident) but it is unfounded.”