Israeli secrets are not safe with Trump administration, US intel officials warn

Alessandra Kelley

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http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4906642,00.html

This is really extraordinary.

"n an astonishing development, the Israeli press has reported that its country’s intelligence officials have been advised by their US counterparts not to share intel with the Trump administration, lest that information find its way to Moscow, and from there to Tehran."

From YNetNews:
During the meeting, according to the Israelis who participated in it, their American colleagues voiced despair over Trump’s election, as he often lashes out at the American intelligence community. The American officials also told the Israelis that the National Security Agency (NSA) had “highly credible information” that Russia’s intelligence agencies, the FSB and GRU, were responsible for hacking the Democratic Party (DNC) servers during the elections and leaking sensitive information to WikiLeaks, which hurt Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

The American officials further added that they believed Russia President Vladimir Putin had “leverages of pressure” over Trump – but did not elaborate. They were apparently referring to what was published Wednesday about embarrassing information collected by the Russian intelligence in a bid to blackmail the president-elect.

(bolding mine):
The Americans implied that their Israeli colleagues should “be careful” as of January 20, Trump’s inauguration date, when transferring intelligence information to the White House and to the National Security Council (NSC), which is subject to the president. According to the Israelis who were present in the meeting, the Americans recommended that until it is made clear that Trump is not inappropriately connected to Russia and is not being extorted – Israel should avoid revealing sensitive sources to administration officials for fear the information would reach the Iranians.

In their meeting with their Israeli colleagues, the American intelligence officials were able to point to information included in the Snowden documents about specific highly secret American operation in Iran. The Americans are convinced that Edward Snowden handed the information over to the Russian intelligence – as part of the deal for receiving political asylum – and that parts of it were handed over to Tehran as part of Putin’s policy to increase Iranian dependence – not just Syrian dependence – on Moscow, all aimed at serving one final purpose: To restore Russia’s position as the influential world power in the region.
 

regdog

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It is both unbelievable and completely believable.
 

Michael Wolfe

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I dunno if I see much reason for Putin to share Israeli secrets with Iran.

He seems like he's actually put a good deal of effort into improving relations with Israel in recent years (and I think Netanyahu wants better relations with Russia, as well).
 

MaeZe

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I dunno if I see much reason for Putin to share Israeli secrets with Iran.

He seems like he's actually put a good deal of effort into improving relations with Israel in recent years (and I think Netanyahu wants better relations with Russia, as well).

How do you know? I imagine some of the best intelligence experts on Putin can't say exactly what his intentions are. What are you going by?

Israel is leery of Putin and despite the bromance Trump has with Netanyahu, they still made this request?
 

Michael Wolfe

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How do you know? I imagine some of the best intelligence experts on Putin can't say exactly what his intentions are. What are you going by?

Mainly just looking at what Putin has tried to do, with regard to Israel. As I said, it looks to me like relations between Russia and Israel have gotten better, especially since Netanyahu has come into office. Sharing secrets with Tehran would basically undo all of that.

Israel is leery of Putin and despite the bromance Trump has with Netanyahu, they still made this request?

Did Israel make any request here? It looked to me like US intelligence people just gave their Israeli counterparts some advice about intelligence sharing. I dunno yet how the Israelis might view such a thing.
 

Helix

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Did Israel make any request here? It looked to me like US intelligence people just gave their Israeli counterparts some advice about intelligence sharing. I dunno yet how the Israelis might view such a thing.

As redundant, probably. They would have been well aware of just how stupid and untrustworthy Trump is. They probably regard him in the same light as the Russians -- a useful idiot.
 

ElaineA

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In sidelong-related news, it's being reported Palestinian Authority leader Abbas has contacted Putin to ask him to ask Trump not to relocate the US embassy to Jerusalem.*** The fact that world figures might be going through Putin to get to Trump is...WTF?? :Jaw:

I don't pretend to understand Israeli politics, but if the Palestinians feel they have an ally in Putin, can Israel view him favorably, too?

(***I also don't pretend to know the veracity of Israeli media outlets, but my very basic vetting reveals Ynet is a subsidiary of Israel's most-read newspaper. If anyone feels it's a questionable source, please let me know and I'll delete the post.)
 

MaeZe

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Did Israel make any request here? It looked to me like US intelligence people just gave their Israeli counterparts some advice about intelligence sharing. I dunno yet how the Israelis might view such a thing.

I have to admit to being reading-comprehension challenged re the OP link.

From the first two statements in the link, it's unclear, they seem to contradict each other:
US intel sources warn Israel against sharing secrets with Trump administration

Israeli intelligence officials fear that top-secret information that has been exposed to the United States will be leaked to Russia—and from Russia to its close ally, Iran.
Perhaps that's a typo and they meant US Intelligence officials?

If you read further:
Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration as the next president of the United States is causing Israeli intelligence officials to lose sleep as well. Discussions held in closed forums recently raised fears of a leakage of Israeli intelligence top-classified information, clandestine modus oprandi and sources, which have been exposed to the American intelligence community over the past 15 years, to Russia – and from there to Iran.

The cause of concern are the suspicions of unreported ties between the president-elect or his associates and the Kremlin, whose agents are also associated with intelligence officials in Tehran.
Again, do they mean US intelligence officials working on Israeli Intelligence?

It sounds like intelligence gathered by Israeli intelligence which was shared with the US is now a concern because Israel is concerned that Trump is not trustworthy.

But this headline is the opposite: U.S. Intelligence Officials Reportedly Warn Israeli Counterparts Against Sharing Info With Trump Administration
Shared information could be leaked to Russia and onward to Iran, American officials implied to Israelis in closed meeting, saying Kremlin has 'leverages of pressure' over Trump, Ronen Bergman reports.

So I'm confused. And I also don't know how reliable or in which direction the Haaretz news site leans. Maybe someone familiar with the source can weigh in. With so much fake news going around, for all I know they could be the Breitbart of Israel.

I also wonder if Israeli intelligence is not going along with Netanyahu's bromance with Trump? And now that all this Trump-Putin stuff is snowballing, I wonder if Netanyahu is feeling any buyer's remorse given his cheering when Trump won?


One thing that is supposed to be a fact, we are allied with Iraq and Russia is allied with Iran in the Middle East.
 
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Helix

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I have to admit to being reading-comprehension challenged re the OP link.

From the first two statements in the link, it's unclear, they seem to contradict each other:perhaps that's a typo and they meant US Intelligence officials?

I can't see how they are contradictory. The headline -- US intel sources warn Israel against sharing secrets with Trump administration -- leads to the summary -- Israeli intelligence officials fear that top-secret information that has been exposed to the United States will be leaked to Russia—and from Russia to its close ally, Iran. Obviously, the Israelis would be concerned that anything they shared with Trump-the-Sieve would end up in the laps of Trump's handlers and their pals.

If you read further:Again, do they mean US intelligence officials working on Israeli Intelligence?

It sounds like intelligence gathered by Israeli intelligence which was shared with the US is now a concern because Israel is concerned that Trump is not trustworthy.

Yes. That's what it means.

But this headline is the opposite: U.S. Intelligence Officials Reportedly Warn Israeli Counterparts Against Sharing Info With Trump Administration

So I'm confused. And I also don't know how reliable or in which direction the Haaretz news site leans. Maybe someone familiar with the source can weigh in. With so much fake news going around, for all I know they could be the Breitbart of Israel.

I also wonder if Israeli intelligence is not going along with Netanyahu's bromance with Trump? And now that all this Trump-Putin stuff is snowballing, I wonder if Netanyahu is feeling any buyer's remorse given his cheering when Trump won?


One thing that is supposed to be a fact, we are allied with Iraq and Russia is allied with Iran in the Middle East.
 

MaeZe

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In sidelong-related news, it's being reported Palestinian Authority leader Abbas has contacted Putin to ask him to ask Trump not to relocate the US embassy to Jerusalem.*** The fact that world figures might be going through Putin to get to Trump is...WTF?? :Jaw:

I don't pretend to understand Israeli politics, but if the Palestinians feel they have an ally in Putin, can Israel view him favorably, too?

(***I also don't pretend to know the veracity of Israeli media outlets, but my very basic vetting reveals Ynet is a subsidiary of Israel's most-read newspaper. If anyone feels it's a questionable source, please let me know and I'll delete the post.)

Trump's nomination for defense has already contradicted Trump's claim he was for moving the embassy.
President-elect Donald Trump’s Defense Secretary nominee, James Mattis, was asked on Thursday what the capital of Israel is. And he didn’t say Jerusalem.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) asked about Israel during the hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, but Mattis refused to give him the answer he wanted.
“The capital of Israel that I go to, sir, is Tel Aviv, because that’s where all their government people are,” Mattis replied.

While Trump's appointment for Envoy to Israel can't wait for his post in Jerusalem.
President-elect Donald Trump said on Thursday he will nominate bankruptcy attorney David Friedman as U.S. ambassador to Israel, and Friedman said he looked forward to taking up his post in Jerusalem, implying a move from Tel Aviv that would mark a break in longstanding U.S. foreign policy and anger the Muslim world.

Who knows if it was Trump bluster or Trump belief but I'm leaning toward bluster here. That seems to be the more consistent pattern.
 
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MaeZe

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I can't see how they are contradictory. The headline -- US intel sources warn Israel against sharing secrets with Trump administration -- leads to the summary -- Israeli intelligence officials fear that top-secret information that has been exposed to the United States will be leaked to Russia—and from Russia to its close ally, Iran. Obviously, the Israelis would be concerned that anything they shared with Trump-the-Sieve would end up in the laps of Trump's handlers and their pals.

Yes. That's what it means.

But Netanyahu loves him some Trump. :tongue

I think we can all agree, what a fucking mess!
 

Michael Wolfe

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So I'm confused. And I also don't know how reliable or in which direction the Haaretz news site leans. Maybe someone familiar with the source can weigh in. With so much fake news going around, for all I know they could be the Breitbart of Israel.

I also wonder if Israeli intelligence is not going along with Netanyahu's bromance with Trump? And now that all this Trump-Putin stuff is snowballing, I wonder if Netanyahu is feeling any buyer's remorse given his cheering when Trump won?

I'd say Haaretz is probably more on the left-wing side of Israeli politics, by and large.

As for buyer's remorse because of Putin, I doubt it. At least not yet. I just don't think Netanyahu has any major problems with Putin. They seem to actually like each other, on a personal level. They are similar kinds of characters, in a lot of ways.

Plus, right-wing politicians in Israel depend a lot on the Russian vote, which is a pretty sizeable bloc and tends to be pro-Putin. Last year, Netanyahu named Avigdor Lieberman as his new defence minister. Hard to think of many politicians in Israel who are more pro-Putin than Lieberman, IMO.
 

cornflake

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I find the idea there are any secrets safe with Trump amusing.


*sorry
 
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AW Admin

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People.

I'm not a fan or admirer of Donald Trump, but can we please stop with the "flaming cheeto" etc?

Please? I'm really tired of snotty PMs about double standards, etc. etc.

In other words, stop doing it. Now.
 

MaeZe

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I'd say Haaretz is probably more on the left-wing side of Israeli politics, by and large.

As for buyer's remorse because of Putin, I doubt it. At least not yet. I just don't think Netanyahu has any major problems with Putin. They seem to actually like each other, on a personal level. They are similar kinds of characters, in a lot of ways.

Plus, right-wing politicians in Israel depend a lot on the Russian vote, which is a pretty sizeable bloc and tends to be pro-Putin. Last year, Netanyahu named Avigdor Lieberman as his new defence minister. Hard to think of many politicians in Israel who are more pro-Putin than Lieberman, IMO.
Interesting. I just looked into the Putin Netanyahu relationship. Who knew?

I wonder how that works given Israel's not so great relationship with Iran. But I see Netanyahu and Assad have some mutual goals. I wouldn't have thought that either.
 
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Alessandra Kelley

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Interesting. I just looked into the Putin Netanyahu relationship. Who knew?

I wonder how that works given Israel's not so great relationship with Iran. But I see Netanyahu and Assad have some mutual goals. I wouldn't have thought that either.

It's an old cliché, but "Politics makes strange bedfellows."

World leaders can admire each others' styles. They can have strategic interests in common. They can work together. They can agree on philosophical points. They can do all of this without the slightest bit of trust in each other.
 

Kaiser-Kun

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I'm sure the PEOTUS is gonna address this properly tomorrow at 3 a.m. via Twitter. "Israel is the WORST country ever. REALLY BORING AND UNINSTERESTING. Boo!" and a bunch of lameass hashtags.
 

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In sidelong-related news, it's being reported Palestinian Authority leader Abbas has contacted Putin to ask him to ask Trump not to relocate the US embassy to Jerusalem.*** The fact that world figures might be going through Putin to get to Trump is...WTF?? :Jaw:

I don't pretend to understand Israeli politics, but if the Palestinians feel they have an ally in Putin, can Israel view him favorably, too?

(***I also don't pretend to know the veracity of Israeli media outlets, but my very basic vetting reveals Ynet is a subsidiary of Israel's most-read newspaper. If anyone feels it's a questionable source, please let me know and I'll delete the post.)

I have nothing smart to add, only that ynet is one of the most popular newsites in Israel, and about every second person around here uses the Ynet app to catch up on news, so it's pretty reliable, and not questionable.

(Then again, most Israelis I know don't believe anything they hear or see on the news anymore, it tends to get really politic around here lol but that's a whole different discussion)