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Last update - 00:00 22/04/2008
ANALYSIS: New espionage affair may be old story, but will greatly damage Israel
By Yossi Melman, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Yossi Melman, Israel 

Click here for more articles by Yossi Melman

The new U.S.-Israel espionage affair revealed Tuesday is in fact an old story. Nothing in this fact, however, can reduce the gravity of damage it will cause Israel, nor lead to expectations that suspect Ben-Ami Kadish's punishment will be eased - if he is indeed to be convicted in a court of law.

A number of conclusions can be drawn from the case, which points to a pattern that has characterized Israel's security and intelligence establishments for many years. First, the American judicial memory is very long, and the long arm of justice there does not withdraw, even after a quarter-century or more.
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Colonel (res.) Aviam Sela, who was involved in recruiting American Jonathan Pollard to spy for Israel, and Jackob Nimrodi, who was involved in Irangate, the sale of Israeli arms to Iran, with U.S. cooperation, both know this well. Since the 1980s, both have avoided the U.S. for fear of being arrested upon their arrival.

One could also conclude that Israel's claims that the Pollard affair was an exception has once again been disproved. Nevertheless, it is clear that in its wake Israel stopped its espionage activities in the U.S., including the technological espionage that had been one of the hallmarks of Israel's illegal activities on U.S. soil in the 1970s and '80s.

Kadish had a hand in this, too. During this period a number of Israelis and others were arrested and investigated on suspicion of attempting to steal U.S. secrets and to smuggle technology, equipment and information from the U.S. to Israel.

A major brouhaha erupted, for example, surrounding Milco International, the company of Arnon Milchan, now a major Hollywood film producer. Company director Richard Smyth was arrested by the F.B.I. in the mid-1980s on suspicion of smuggling into Israel, without an export license, electronic triggers called Krytrons that the U.S. claimed was for Israel's nuclear program.

Smyth jumped bail and fled the U.S. He reportedly lived in Israel for some time before moving to Spain. The case was closed a few years ago after he turned himself in and signed a plea bargain with the F.B.I.

The Pollard affair revealed that the Defense Ministry operated a secret unit, the Scientific Liaison Bureau, which for years conducted intelligence and equipment-gathering for the Dimona nuclear reactor as well as serving as a "theft contractor" for Israel's security industry. The organization appointed scientific attaches in Israeli embassies in the U.S. and Europe, who handled its operations. It was responsible for Pollard and, so it seems, Ben-Ami Kadish.

Cabinet Minister Rafi Eitan was head of the bureau during the period of Pollard's and Kadish's activities there.

The handler in both cases was the scientific attache at the Israeli consulate in New York - Yosef Yagur in Pollard's case, and presumably in the current case as well, although he is not mentioned by name.

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      1.   ARREST AMERICAN SPIES IN ISRAEL,CONVICT THEM,EXCHANGE FOR POLLARD 20:32  |  VOICE)))))))))) 22/04/08
      2.   Feeling better 20:33  |  C`est Moi 22/04/08
      3.   AFTER THE IDIOTIC DECLARATION OF 20:41  |  Robert 22/04/08
      4.   Quite a track record 20:44  |  Colin Wright 22/04/08
      5.   trust me 20:49  |  Samuel 22/04/08
      6.   ZOA is all over the media trying to silence this story 20:54  |  Harold 22/04/08
      7.   ANALYSIS: New espionage affair may be old story, but will greatly 21:04  |  Marvin 22/04/08
      8.   Cut Aid to Israel 21:07  |  Meir 22/04/08
      9.   US uses American Jews to spy in Israel 21:30  |  Yossi 22/04/08
      10.   No presidential candidate dare to speak out 21:44  |  El-Birawi 22/04/08
      11.   WHY NOW? WHO PROFITS FROM THIS "REVELATION" ? 22:01  |  Mr. Ami Goldman 22/04/08
      12.   Timing of Story Meant to Deflect..... 22:13  |  ZADOK 22/04/08
      13.   It disproves nothing, because nothing has been proven! 22:29  |  Gili 22/04/08
      14.   Bush shows some spirit 22:29  |  Natallie Durson 22/04/08
      15.   not so BAD 22:31  |  watcher 22/04/08
      16.   No. 4, Colin Wright 22:38  |  W 22/04/08
      17.   Bush still coming to 60th Independence party...? 22:43  |  Esther 22/04/08
      18.   This is a marginal ramification of the Pollard affaire. 22:55  |  Fortuna Benmayor 22/04/08
      19.   Gil has 7 MKs 22:59  |  Rowan 22/04/08
      20.   Polard gave authorized info Read Court transscrip 23:03  |  sam 22/04/08
      21.   How did the handlers know what documents to copy? 23:08  |  dan 22/04/08
      22.   Man is innocent until proven Guilty 23:27  |  A. Vaks 22/04/08
      23.   USS Liberty 23:35  |  John from NJ 22/04/08
      24.   Bend over Ohlmert 23:43  |  Ronnbo 22/04/08
      25.   spies 23:49  |  Space 22/04/08
      26.   Colin 23:49  |  David 22/04/08
      27.   Old news- Ho Hum - Yawn 23:59  |  Avrum 22/04/08
      28.   Perhaps this story will lead 00:07  |  Chris Linthwaite 23/04/08
      29.   Former member of Haganah 00:21  |  Chris linthwaite 23/04/08
      30.   Arrest the Israeli Handlers!! 00:25  |  Pablo B 23/04/08
      31.   Why did the USA wait for 25+ years? 00:26  |  Mark 23/04/08
      32.   "Why now? Who profits?" 00:45  |  Ellen 23/04/08
      33.   convenient story timing 01:19  |  avi 23/04/08
      34.   Three billion in aid isnt enough? 01:30  |  Bill 23/04/08
      35.   WHY NOW? To put ILunder some sort of pressure for some reason 02:05  |  Alan 23/04/08
      36.   #16 W. Then there was... 02:09  |  Maureen Ann 23/04/08
      37.   Ben Ami Kaddish is no more than archeology. 02:30  |  Fortuna Benmayor 23/04/08
      38.   Yossi #9 03:07  |  Cool B 23/04/08
      39.   Say your prayers Kadish 03:11  |  NJ 23/04/08
      40.   Another Jewish Traitor Betrays His Country 03:53  |  Mr. Know-It-All 23/04/08
      41.   Israel lookin` out for #1 once again 04:11  |  FK 23/04/08
      42.   #31 Mark - The FBI was watching the traitor to find more traitors 04:23  |  Mr. Know-It-All 23/04/08
      43.   Indeed bad news on top of usual bad activities in bad times 08:39  |  S 23/04/08
      44.   nu. 40 09:23  |  Buck Downe 23/04/08
      45.   #42 frostbite in the brain and ignorance of us espionage world wi 10:14  |  v hardman 23/04/08
      46.   One little error in the report 10:31  |  Rowan 23/04/08
      47.   #43, S, please do not panick and do not exaggerate 10:33  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/04/08
      48.   So many Israeli villains who have to watch where they travel 10:35  |  Clickfool 23/04/08
      49.   New espionage affair, and why now? 11:37  |  David Nigel Braham 23/04/08
      50.   WHAT I STILL DON`T GET IT IS THIS 11:41  |  indrajaya 23/04/08
      51.   DO YOU STILL SURPRISE? 11:59  |  indrajaya 23/04/08
      52.   Sorry Buck - My Hatred is of Traitors, not Jews 12:30  |  Mr. Know-It-All 23/04/08
      53.   KNOWALL Which group is treason free? 12:48  |  PETER SM 23/04/08
      54.   KNOWALL 25 years of FBI watching produced no results 13:14  |  PETER SM 23/04/08
      55.   Cipora #47 13:23  |  S 23/04/08
      56.   EL BIRAWI because he has not been convicted 13:23  |  PETER SM 23/04/08
      57.   HAROLD Care to give your"dog" sources.? 13:27  |  PETER SM 23/04/08
      58.   MAUREEN RFK killed by a 24-year-old Palestinian named Sirhan 13:39  |  PETER SM 23/04/08
      59.   CWRIGHT"Pollard affair""in its wake Israel stopped its espionage 13:56  |  PETER SM 23/04/08
      60.   W.israel stopped the Phalcon deal with China on US orders 14:02  |  PETER SM 23/04/08
      61.   KNOWALL" worried about the safety &security of your country" 14:19  |  PETER SM 23/04/08
      62.   #22 A Vaks 14:35  |  Chris Linthwaite 23/04/08
      63.   idiot americans 14:42  |  mehmet 23/04/08
      64.   there are many people in the fbi who hate jews. 14:59  |  harzion 23/04/08
      65.   Prophecy 15:03  |  roger wallace 23/04/08
      66.   #23 - John from NJ 15:04  |  Shlomo 23/04/08
      67.   #50 Indrajaya - WHAT I STILL DON`T GET IT IS THIS 15:08  |  Shlomo 23/04/08
      68.   Yossi who would America need to spy 15:37  |  Patrick 23/04/08
      69.   Israels moral "guilt-factor": WB occupation and spy-scandal...... 16:27  |  Swiss (Dino) 23/04/08
      70.   As well it should! 16:37  |  samos 23/04/08
      71.   C`est toi, aucun idee d`un Zioniste 17:17  |  Robert/Montreal 23/04/08
      72.   #66 17:22  |  broehe 23/04/08
      73.   #14 Natalie, talk about old stuff will California be repatriated? 17:22  |  Robert/Montreal 23/04/08
      74.   still I wonder should CIA pay for Cambodia Spying thirty yearsago 17:27  |  Robert/Montreal 23/04/08
      75.   no problem 17:48  |  psi 23/04/08
      76.   no problem 17:52  |  psi 23/04/08
      77.   Dino, You need to have Morals , don`t assume for Israel you 17:54  |  Robert/Montreal 23/04/08
      78.   #68 Patrick 18:13  |  Sarah 23/04/08
      79.   No Problem ??? 18:14  |  Brian 23/04/08
      80.   Do like with Canada and New Zealand .. recall Israel`s Ambassador 18:18  |  Chanalau, Tova 23/04/08
      81.   S # 55 18:25  |  American in NY 23/04/08
      82.   It will blow over soon. 18:26  |  Edith 23/04/08
      83.   Fuel for the old anti-semtic narrative 18:54  |  American Jew 23/04/08
      84.   American in NY #81 18:55  |  S 23/04/08
      85.   Mehmet #63- who is idiot? 19:05  |  David Israel 23/04/08
      86.   Dear Roger Wallace 19:17  |  David James Vickery 23/04/08
      87.   # 77 Robert/Montreal "moral and immoral" 19:33  |  Swiss (Dino) 23/04/08
      88.   Dino #87 ref your postings 19:49  |  Robert/Montreal 23/04/08
      89.   Cut off 50% aid to Israel.They have done this 20:16  |  Kevin 23/04/08
      90.   # 88 Robert/Montreal 20:25  |  Swiss (Dino) 23/04/08
      91.   ZOA will make sure its followers and members snuff the story 21:39  |  El-Birawi 23/04/08
      92.   #81, ANY 21:45  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/04/08
      93.   #84, S 21:52  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/04/08
      94.   AIPAC gets what it wants from Congress 22:16  |  El-Birawi 23/04/08
      95.   seymour hersh in the samson option 22:59  |  harzion 23/04/08
      96.   melman "kadish had a hand in this too" 23:03  |  harzion 23/04/08
      97.   #95, harzion, not surprising 23:16  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/04/08
      98.   CJK # 92 How wrong you are. 23:37  |  American in NY 23/04/08
      99.   Espionage affair 23:38  |  Micael Shlomo 23/04/08
      100.   S # 84 23:42  |  American in NY 23/04/08
      101.   harzion or avigdor or zevelun? 00:41  |  John Syracuse 24/04/08
      102.   EL BIRAWI"All media bosses members of the ZOA"?? Evidence please? 01:28  |  PETER SM 24/04/08
      103.   EL BIRAWI "AIPAC gets what wants"?latest jet fighters to Saudis 01:33  |  PETER SM 24/04/08
      104.   WHEREFROM THE DANGER 01:36  |  JOJO (USA) 24/04/08
      105.   CHANALAU.Your friends do "instant" justice.USA has due process 01:37  |  PETER SM 24/04/08
      106.   SHLOMO #98 01:42  |  JOJO (USA) 24/04/08
      107.   Difficult to Avoid Blowback 01:50  |  Mark of Lewiston 24/04/08
      108.   #97, ANY 01:57  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 24/04/08
      109.   # 50 Indrajaya, you give them too much credit... 02:11  |  Dutch 24/04/08
      110.   Israelis have been crawling in & out of American beds for toolong 02:16  |  Dutch 24/04/08
      111.   american in ny 02:20  |  harzion 24/04/08
      112.   # 82 Edith And All The Rest.It Will Blow Over SoonBloodypolitics 02:35  |  ... 24/04/08
      113.   # 95 harzion well,absolutely spot on the B......S!!! 03:00  |  ... 24/04/08
      114.   It can influence public opinion about Israel &.. 03:26  |  PK 24/04/08
      115.   #98 M.Shlomo..To Beginwith change Your Bloody name 03:27  |  ... 24/04/08
      116.   #40-Mr. Know-it-all-The charges haven`t been proven-- 03:40  |  PK 24/04/08
      117.   # 101 peter sm...There is nothing at zoa.not a pip! 03:45  |  ... 24/04/08
      118.   with friends like this 04:26  |  dan 24/04/08
      119.   # 114 PK....Tell Us A New One PK. 04:36  |  ... 24/04/08
      120.   #119- I agree it`s not new but not everyone is aware of this 04:59  |  PK 24/04/08
      121.   Much Adu du About Nothing 05:27  |  Alan 24/04/08
      122.   Just another nail in the Israeli coffin 06:15  |  Advocate4Liberty 24/04/08
      123.   #15 Watcher 06:37  |  Advocate4Liberty 24/04/08
      124.   CJK # 108 No Soviet speas were Jewish? 14:26  |  American in NY 24/04/08
      125.   Response to: "Title: US uses American Jews to spy in Israel " 19:48  |  Goodman 24/04/08
      126.   #126, ANY 20:16  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 24/04/08
      127.   CJK # 126 23:09  |  American in NY 24/04/08
      128.   CJK your continued lies 03:40  |  American in NY 25/04/08
      129.   #127-128, ANY 11:18  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 26/04/08
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