Summary
Overview
This episode explores the Jonathan Pollard spy case, one of the most damaging espionage incidents in US-Israel relations. David McCluskey and Gordon Corera examine how a troubled Navy analyst managed to pass massive amounts of classified intelligence to Israel over 17 months, the mechanics of his espionage operation, his dramatic capture, and the decades-long political fallout that continues to shape US-Israel intelligence cooperation today.
The Israeli Intelligence Unit Behind Pollard
The episode reveals that Pollard wasn't run by the famous Mossad, but by a lesser-known Israeli intelligence organization called LAKAM (Bureau of Scientific Relations), focused on scientific and technical intelligence gathering. The operation was overseen by Raphael 'Rafi' Eitan, a legendary intelligence officer who had helped capture Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann. Gordon Corera shares his personal encounter with Eitan years later, when the former spymaster had become head of Israel's Pensioners' Political Party, illustrating the colorful trajectory of intelligence careers.
- Pollard was run by LAKAM, an Israeli Ministry of Defense unit focused on scientific intelligence, not by Mossad
- The operation was overseen by Raphael 'Rafi' Eitan, who earned the nickname 'The Stinker' and had captured Adolf Eichmann
- Gordon Corera interviewed Eitan years later when he was running Israel's Pensioners' Political Party
" Aitan is one of those guys who seems to have made a host of enemies across the Israeli national security and intelligence bureaucracy because he has apparently earned the nickname The Stinker, which I think is which is a phenomenal, phenomenal nickname. "
The Mechanics of Pollard's Espionage Operation
Pollard executed a remarkably brazen espionage operation, using a courier card to walk out of his office three times a week with classified documents without being searched. He would deliver these materials to an Israeli embassy secretary's apartment in Washington, where they were photocopied in a second apartment equipped with specialized equipment. The operation was highly organized, with Pollard receiving coordinated tasking lists from Israeli Navy, Army, and Air Force units, suggesting this was far from a rogue operation.
- Pollard used a courier card to remove documents without searches three times weekly, stashing them in a suitcase in his car
- Documents were delivered to an apartment in northwest Washington with photocopying equipment for quick copying
- Pollard received highly organized tasking lists coordinated between Israeli military services, suggesting broad institutional knowledge
- The operation ran for 17 months with Pollard delivering over 800 highly classified documents
📚 7 more sections below
Sign up to unlock the complete summary with all insights, key points, and quotes
Get this summary + all future The Rest Is Classified episodes in your inbox
100% Free • Unsubscribe Anytime
Sign up now and we'll send you the complete summary of this episode, plus get notified when new The Rest Is Classified episodes are released—delivered straight to your inbox within minutes.