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Last update - 20:19 23/04/2008
Ezra: New spy case won't harm U.S.-Israel ties
By Yossi Melman, Shahar Ilan and Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondents, and Agencies
Tags: Israel, nuclear secrets, U.S.

Environment Minister and former senior security official Gideon Ezra said Wednesday that he does not believe Israel's relations with the U.S. will suffer in light of revelations that an American Army engineer spied for Israel in the 1980s.

"Our strategic relationship with the United States is stronger than this," Ezra, a former deputy head of the Shin Bet security services, told Israel Radio.

Ben-Ami Kadish was arrested Tuesday on charges that he spied for Israel over 20 years ago.
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But the former head of the Mossad espionage agency, Labor MK Danny Yatom, said Wednesday that the arrest had touched a nerve with Washington.

"I think what primarily bothers the Americans is the feeling that Israel didn't tell them the whole truth two decades ago, in 1985, when the Pollard affair exploded," Yatom told Army Radio.

The 84-year-old Kadish was to be charged with slipping classified documents about nuclear weapons, fighter jets and air defense missiles to an Israeli Consulate employee who also received information from convicted spy Jonathan Pollard, authorities said.

Kadish acknowledged his spying in FBI interviews, and said he acted out of a belief that he was helping Israel, court papers said

Yatom added: "The Americans asked if there are additional people that Israel ran or are running in the United States. The answer, to the best of my knowledge, was always no," Yatom said.

"If what has been reported is true, and it appears it is true, and Ben-Ami Kadish kept in touch with what the Americans described as his old handler in Israel, I can call it unnecessary stupidity," the Labor MK said.

A U.S. citizen, Kadish was scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Manhattan on Tuesday, where he was facing four counts of conspiracy, including allegations that he conspired to disclose U.S. national defense documents to Israel, and that he acted as an agent of the Israeli government.

According to the criminal complaint, the activities occurred from 1979 through 1985 while the Connecticut-born Kadish worked at the U.S. Army's Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center in Dover, New Jersey.

Yuval Steinitz, another official with inside knowledge of Israel's intelligence services, did not deny a second spy had operated in the U.S. in parallel with Pollard - but insisted such espionage ceased long ago.

"The Americans know... that since Pollard was exposed in 1985, Israel doesn't recruit agents or receive classified material [in] the United States," said Steinitz, a former chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

Pensioner Affairs Minister Rafi Eitan, a former Mossad official who recruited Pollard to spy for Israel, said he was not aware of the Kadish case.

"I have no idea," he said. "This is the first time I've heard about it. I'll go listen to the news."

When asked whether he recognized Kadish's name, Eitan repeated, "I have no idea."

Foreign Ministry spokesman Arye Mekel issued a response Wednesday, saying "since 1985, a great deal of care has gone into following the guidelines of every prime minister in Israel, which prohibit this kind of activity in the United States."

"The relations between Israel and the United States have always been based on true friendship and similarity of values and interests," he added.

The Prime Minister's Bureau said Tuesday that Israel was not familiar with the details of the case, and was examining the issue. Israeli officials fear that the case might strain Israel-U.S. relations.

Kadish was accused of taking home classified documents several times and letting the Israeli government worker photograph them in Kadish's basement. The documents included information about nuclear weapons, a modified F-15 fighter jet, and the U.S. Patriot missile air defense system, the complaint said.

According to the complaint, the Israeli government worker often provided Kadish with lists of wanted classified national defense documents.

Prosecutors also allege Kadish conspired to hinder a communication with a law enforcement officer, and making a materially false statement to a law enforcement officer.

Those charges stem from a conversation in which Kadish was allegedly told by the Israeli contact to lie to U.S. law enforcement agents and tell them that he didn't remember many of the relevant details. A day later, Kadish lied to FBI agents about his communications with the Israeli worker, the complaint said.

According to U.S. law enforcement officials and various documents, Kadish got in touch with his Israeli contact after Israel agreed in 2004 to secretly acknowledge to American officials that Pollard was not an isolated case, thereby confirming longtime American suspicions that Pollard was not the only American spy working for Israel.

Kadish admitted spying for Israel between 1979 and 1985, and then asked his Israeli contact what to do.

The complaint said Kadish did not appear to receive any money in exchange for his suspected spying, just small gifts and restaurant meals.

The complaint noted that Pollard was charged in November 1985 with espionage-related offense after he provided classified information to the same Israeli worker, among other people.


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      1.   1980`s. Isn`t there a Statute of Limitations? 18:40  |  Johnny Weintraub 22/04/08
      2.   Jews Must Protect Jews 18:44  |  fred 22/04/08
      3.   Thank you, Israel 18:44  |  W 22/04/08
      4.   BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!!!!!! 18:45  |  Clickfool 22/04/08
      5.   oh well they are just anti-semetic right? 18:49  |  suuuuure 22/04/08
      6.   The tooth fairy 18:57  |  Shmuelshachor 22/04/08
      7.   Pollard Highway revisited........ 18:59  |  Swiss (Dino) 22/04/08
      8.   If at last the US could open its eyes now... 19:05  |  Indrajaya 22/04/08
      9.   30 years ago?! 19:10  |  Gili 22/04/08
      10.   Unusual report 19:11  |  Brod 22/04/08
      11.   Stand Strong Israel, Your American Politicians Will Protect You 19:17  |  Lee Kaplan 22/04/08
      12.   If Israel isn`t able to trust her best friend in this world..... 19:19  |  Swiss (Dino) 22/04/08
      13.   its antisemetism!!! USA is antisemetic!! 19:21  |  proud zionist 22/04/08
      14.   Zionisim at it best 19:25  |  zac 22/04/08
      15.   it was a setup!! anti semitic!!! 19:28  |  free Kadish,Pollard 22/04/08
      16.   20 yrs after the fact. What a bloody joke. 19:28  |  Murray the Mongoose 22/04/08
      17.   Clickfool Rolls Eyes Up To BEEP-ing from His Tinfoil Cap 19:33  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 22/04/08
      18.   So Hillary`s obliterating and Israel`s spying? LOL 19:36  |  Michael 22/04/08
      19.   So what is else is new! 19:37  |  El-Birawi 22/04/08
      20.   yeah gili its all a setup!! zions only friend in the world 19:37  |  get a clue 22/04/08
      21.   Didn`t Pollard complain 19:40  |  Chris Linthwaite 22/04/08
      22.   Brod:latent hand of antisemitism? hahahahaha:) 19:40  |  ROTFWL 22/04/08
      23.   Hilary to the defense 19:42  |  El-Birawi 22/04/08
      24.   5th column in USA 19:44  |  AAA 22/04/08
      25.   Clickfool # 2. 19:44  |  David Nigel Braham 22/04/08
      26.   up tp now ... 19:44  |  Axel 22/04/08
      27.   i am sure they want to squeeze him :) 19:49  |  and you? 22/04/08
      28.   PATRIOTIC AMERICANS FOR ISRAEL 19:50  |  indrajaya 22/04/08
      29.   Something is FISHY that this was released now 19:51  |  Pete 22/04/08
      30.   Gili + Murray 19:53  |  Goldberg 22/04/08
      31.   Watch Obama, Clinton and McCain still pledge allegiance to Israel 19:54  |  Michael 22/04/08
      32.   the timing doesnt match... 19:55  |  Daniel 22/04/08
      33.   Israel denies Pollard was a spy for them 19:56  |  Joe 22/04/08
      34.   Congrats--you`re all buying into this NONSENSE 19:57  |  Pete 22/04/08
      35.   #1. I`ll give you " Statute of Limitations?" if 19:59  |  socalmaverick 22/04/08
      36.   Yawn. 20:02  |  Pete 22/04/08
      37.   Pollard kisses any chance of release goodbye 20:03  |  Clickfool 22/04/08
      38.   No. 15 Murray 20:05  |  Steve 22/04/08
      39.   if he is a spy dont condem Israel for running him 20:07  |  zionist forever 22/04/08
      40.   And yet Israel is our `FRIEND` 20:08  |  Cool B 22/04/08
      41.   U.S. arrests American suspected of giving nuclear secrets to Isra 20:09  |  JHabb 22/04/08
      42.   spying 20:12  |  yuval 22/04/08
      43.   There Will Be More No Doubt 20:12  |  Yosemite 22/04/08
      44.   dual loyalties 20:13  |  Ibn Loy-Al 22/04/08
      45.   #2 Say Fred 20:13  |  ballistic 22/04/08
      46.   What a joke! Spying on your best friend! 20:15  |  Palestinian Brit 22/04/08
      47.   #6 Say Shmuelshachor down in Brazil! 20:16  |  ballistic 22/04/08
      48.   Response to W`s "Thank You Israel" 20:23  |  Jim Brooks 22/04/08
      49.   #9 Say Gili 20:23  |  ballistic 22/04/08
      50.   Israel will steal from anyone. What a disgraceful backstabbing... 20:26  |  POP 22/04/08
      51.   #10 Say Brod 20:26  |  ballistic 22/04/08
      52.   No Statue of limitation on being a weisel 20:28  |  American 22/04/08
      53.   #13 Proud Zionist 20:30  |  ballistic 22/04/08
      54.   FBI is full of Moslem anti-semites 20:32  |  WoW 22/04/08
      55.   #3 W, Look who is talking. USA has been spying on every country 20:33  |  Haham me Bat Yam 22/04/08
      56.   Spying from the basement in 1980·s. Ha .! 20:33  |  Stephen. 22/04/08
      57.   ARREST AMERICAN SPIES IN ISRAEL,CONVICT THEM,EXCHANGE FOR POLLARD 20:33  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 22/04/08
      58.   Bush Justice Department 20:42  |  Mark of Lewiston 22/04/08
      59.   It will be interesting 20:43  |  Mark Lincoln 22/04/08
      60.   The god of truth 20:47  |  roger wallace 22/04/08
      61.   Hang him or shoot him 20:51  |  Scott Hunter 22/04/08
      62.   It is abvious 20:54  |  Tarek 22/04/08
      63.   The mount of god 20:56  |  roger wallace 22/04/08
      64.   Of all times, why now? 21:00  |  Harley Ben-David 22/04/08
      65.   Biting the hand That feeds you 21:02  |  James 22/04/08
      66.   US & alleged 84 year old spy. 21:04  |  curious 22/04/08
      67.   This affair continued until MARCH OF THIS YEAR! So it is NOT OLD! 21:05  |  JustMe 22/04/08
      68.   And Vanunu was jailed for doing the world a favour, but 21:05  |  Andreas 22/04/08
      69.