Summary
Overview
This episode examines the complex intelligence relationship between the United States and Israel, exploring how two close allies navigate the practice of spying on each other. The hosts analyze recent controversies around Israeli surveillance of U.S. negotiators during Iran peace talks, trace the historical evolution of U.S.-Israel intelligence cooperation from the 1950s onward, and begin a deep dive into the infamous Jonathan Pollard espionage case from the 1980s. The discussion reveals how strategic interests, personal relationships, and institutional frameworks shape intelligence sharing and collection between allies, even when those activities create significant friction.
The Modern U.S.-Israel Intelligence Relationship and Recent Tensions
The episode opens by establishing the unprecedented closeness of U.S.-Israel military and intelligence cooperation, particularly during recent operations against Iran. However, this intimacy has been complicated by revelations that Israel has been conducting surveillance on American negotiators, including Trump administration officials like Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The hosts explain how the very closeness of the relationship creates both opportunities and incentives for espionage, as each side needs to verify what the other is truly planning.
- Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu sat in the White House Situation Room in February, bringing the head of Mossad to brief President Trump on plans to attack Iran
- Britain's ambassador to Washington suggested that if America has a special relationship these days, it's with Israel, not the UK
- The New York Times reported that U.S. intelligence agencies raised concerns about Israel eavesdropping on American negotiators working on peace arrangements with Iran
- The Israelis have allegedly been spying on Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and others involved in negotiations to understand what kind of deal the U.S. might secure with Iran
" Should Israel and America spy on each other? Yes, thank you David, spoiler alert. "
" If America has a special relationship these days, it's with Israel, not the UK. "
Historical Foundation: From Angleton to Ice Castle
The hosts trace the development of U.S.-Israel intelligence cooperation from its origins in 1951 through various formal agreements. The relationship was initially managed personally by CIA counterintelligence chief James Jesus Angleton and evolved through successive intelligence-sharing pacts with colorful code names like Ice Castle and Stone Ruby. This section reveals both the benefits of cooperation, such as Israel's provision of Khrushchev's secret speech, and early friction points like the USS Liberty incident and suspected nuclear material theft.
- The CIA established a formal liaison channel with the newly created Mossad in 1951, with the relationship personally managed by James Jesus Angleton
- The Mossad collected the text of Soviet Premier Khrushchev's 1956 secret speech denouncing Stalin and passed it to the CIA
- In 1967, the USS Liberty spy ship was hit by the Israelis during the Six-Day War, killing 34 American sailors
- Between 1965 and 1980, nearly 300 kilograms of uranium went missing from a U.S. commercial site with Israeli connections, the largest loss at any U.S. facility
- The first formal intelligence sharing pact, known as the CYR agreement, was signed in 1968 under President Johnson
" Friends don't spy on friends. There's a commitment between the two services not to target each other, which, again, I put a bit of an asterisk around that. "
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