Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., April 24, 2008 Nisan 19, 5768 | | Israel Time: 03:07 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Spy suspect Ben-Ami Kadish (Reuters) Last update - 09:51 23/04/2008 The espionage connection / Anything is possible By Amir Oren, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Kadish, Israel, U.S.  When the Jonathan Pollard case broke in November 1985, journalists who had the scoop hesitated: Could it be that at a time when the Reagan administration had bolstered strategic cooperation with Israel, a Jewish American naval officer would spy for Israel? When they asked journalists writing for Israeli newspapers, the answer was unequivocal: It makes no sense, but because it has to do with Israel's government and defense establishment, anything is possible. A strange duality continues to characterize U.S.-Israel relations. The Israel Defense Forces and the military industries have professional ties with Picattiny Arsenal, an armaments development and testing facility in New Jersey, where the suspect in the current espionage case, Ben-Ami Kadish, worked. Mark Mershon, the FBI agent in charge of the investigation against Kadish, has close working relations with people in the Israeli police and intelligence services. If the suspicions against Kadish are proven, he will be far from being Jonathan Pollard, even though his activities are believed to have preceded Pollard's. The arrest warrant issued against Kadish Tuesday does not name any payment, so unlike Pollard, it seems he was a volunteer. Compared with the wholesale transfer of documents by Pollard to his handlers during less than a year and a half of espionage, Kadish was small time, believed to have taken dozens of documents from the library at Picattiny Arsenal over the past six years. Advertisement Yossi Yagur - not his real name - the scientific attache at the consulate in New York who was one of Pollard's handlers, is suspected of involvement with Kadish as well. Yagur did not run a ring of spies, and it is reasonable to think that each spy operated on his own. The Pollard affair, like the current one, was part of the work of the Bureau of Scientific Relations, which was dismantled and absorbed into the defense establishment's bureau in charge of security. The BSR grew out of Israel's nuclear activities, the secret construction of the Dimona reactor, and until 1981 was headed by Benjamin Bloomberg. Defense Minister Ariel Sharon replaced Bloomberg with Rafi Eitan, a former Mossad officer and an adviser to prime minister Menachem Begin on counterterrrorism. Eitan resigned after it emerged that BSR was involved in the Pollard affair. Another minister currently in the government who is familiar with Israel's espionage activities in the U.S. during the 1980s is Defense Minister Ehud Barak. At the time he was head of Military Intelligence and was among those who used the information provided by Pollard, even though he did not necessarily know the spy's background. Related articles: Israel denies knowledge of imminent Pollard release ANALYSIS: New espionage affair may be old story, but will greatly damage Israel Amir Oren / Oligarchy or anarchy State Comptroller to summon PM to testify in Pollard inquiry Bookmark to del.icio.us   Sex, lies and videotape 3 Kibbutz Ein Gedi residents suspected of filming themselves raping Danish tourists. Big brother is watching An IDF soldier has been jailed for posting sensitive photos on Facebook.   1.   Singular loyalty to Israel - a US traitor 04:59  |  TimothyL 23/04/08   2.   This report contains nothing 05:59  |  Rowan 23/04/08   3.   Kadish is a traitor 06:32  |  Scott G 23/04/08   4.   Bush moves to embarrass Israel 07:32  |  Natallie Durson 23/04/08   5.   Spy vs SPY: this was revealed to pressure Israel b4 Bush`s visit 07:44  |  dov epstein 23/04/08   6.   Consider the facts 08:22  |  Gili 23/04/08   7.   1 09:17  |  Nat 23/04/08   8.   Thanks for this piece, AIPAC 09:50  |  Chanalau, Tova 23/04/08   9.   Nothing to say Kadish 13:01  |  Chris Linthwaite 23/04/08   10.   Kadish 13:14  |  Steve a 23/04/08   11.   #10 Steve a of Manchester 15:08  |  Chris Linthwaite 23/04/08   12.   If you think what he did was ok, then.... 01:47  |  Jimmy 24/04/08   13.   Gili Youre an Idiot 01:49  |  Jimmy 24/04/08   14.   The RAPE of America 01:54  |  Bryan Wilson 24/04/08

Read & React Ezra: New spy case won't harm U.S.-Israel ties Responses: 523 Syrian FM: Nothing barring resumption of peace talks with Israel Responses: 273 Yuval Steinitz: Absurd U.S. intel report saps effort to save world from Iranian nukes Responses: 73 ANALYSIS: New espionage affair may be old story, but will greatly damage Israel Responses: 110 Rosner's Domain The real numbers of the Jewish vote in Pennsylvania New poll: Will the new spy case harm U.S.-Israel ties? Why was the new spy arrested now? (WTR) Notes on the new Israeli-espionage affair More Headlines 02:47 Officials: U.S. vital to relaunching Syria talks 02:23 Israel launches two airstrikes against Gaza Strip targets 02:52 Defense Min. yet to start court-ordered reroute of Bil'in fence 00:29 Clinton wins Pennsylvania Jewish vote with surprising ease 23:18 Christmas card written by Anne Frank turns up in antique shop 23:33 Video footage leads to indictment of 3 kibbutzniks for rape 20:15 Carter: Rice statement untrue, I wasn't warned not to meet Hamas 19:12 IDF soldier jailed for posting sensitive photos on Facebook 20:19 Ezra: New spy case won't harm U.S.-Israel ties 18:40 U.S. facing nation-wide matza shortage this Passover Previous Editions Select Day 23 apr 22 apr 21 apr 20 apr 18 apr 17 apr 16 apr 15 apr 14 apr 13 apr 11 apr 10 apr

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