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Ben-Ami Kadish. (AP)
Last update - 12:40 24/04/2008
U.S. to demand Jerusalem acknowledge Kadish was an Israeli agent
By Yossi Melman, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israel, U.S. 

The United States' demands of Israel following the arrest and subsequent indictment Tuesday in the U.S. of Ben-Ami Kadish on charges of spying for Israel recalled similar demands following the 1985 arrest of Jonathan Pollard, American sources familiar with the case have told Haaretz. At that time, Israel announced its full cooperation and handed over information to the American investigators, in effect greatly aiding the case against Pollard.

According to the American sources, Israel is currently refusing to repeat this mistake but it eventually will have to admit, to the U.S. government and perhaps also to the public, that Kadish was indeed working for official agents of the State of Israel.

Wednesday's Foreign Ministry statement, according to which Israel halted its espionage activities against the United States on U.S. soil in 1985, also hints at this. Its language leaves the door open for Israel's admission that Kadish was an Israeli agent but ceased these activities in 1985, as stated in his indictment. Pollard was arrested that year.
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According to the charge sheet, it was Kadish's brother Ehud, who lives in Israel, who made the initial contact between Ben-Ami and his Israeli handler, Yossi Yagur, when Ehud and Yagur worked together at Israel Aircraft Industries (now known as Israel Aerospace Industries).

Another interesting question, which remains to be answered, is the issue of who will pay for Kadish's legal fees. At the beginning of the Pollard affair, a public committee was founded that was supposedly composed of volunteers who collected money to pay for the defense of Pollard and his wife at the time, Anne Pollard. It later became clear that the public committee was actually a front for the Israeli government and intelligence community.

Jerusalem responds

Barak Ravid adds: "The events date back to the early 1980s," Foreign Ministry spokesman Arye Mekel said Wednesday. "Since 1985, great care has been taken to observe the directives of the prime ministers not to conduct activities of this kind in the U.S."

"Relations between the United States and Israel have always been based on true friendship and mutual values and interests," Mekel added.

According to U.S. court documents, Kadish confessed to the crimes of which he is accused and told the FBI he had sought to aid Israel. The information he allegedly passed to Israel dealt with nuclear weapons, fighter aircraft and defensive missiles.

Kadish, 84, was released on $300,000 bail Tuesday following a brief appearance in a Manhattan federal court.

The Foreign Ministry announcement was one of two exceptions to the official silence that prevailed in Jerusalem Wednesday on the story.

The other was a statement made by Environmental Protection Minister Gideon Ezra, who in an interview to Israel Radio said he did not believe the affair would damage Israel-U.S. relations. He said that Kadish was not another Pollard.

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      1.   Israel, was it worth it? 05:32  |  Jon 24/04/08
      2.   ARREST AMERICAN SPIES IN ISRAEL,CONVICT THEM,EXCHANGE FOR POLLARD 05:50  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 24/04/08
      3.   REMIND YANKEES HOW THEY HELPED SADDAM.SPYING ON THEM WAS JUSTFIED 05:56  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 24/04/08
      4.   Trust, once broken, will not be forgiven. USA Patriot 06:15  |  * BEN JABO 24/04/08
      5.   Why? 06:24  |  Mark Lincoln 24/04/08
      6.   Why is this important? especially now? 06:26  |  r 24/04/08
      7.   Treason/death penalty 07:11  |  Chrisona 24/04/08
      8.   Pointless Issue 07:27  |  Jaxster 24/04/08
      9.   It all ties together 07:31  |  Alex 24/04/08
      10.   Damage control 08:03  |  Natallie Durson 24/04/08
      11.   Israel has arrested an American Spy 08:31  |  Tony 24/04/08
      12.   as if Israel was America`s enemy 08:36  |  free Pollard 24/04/08
      13.   Can one imagine the US making such a demand of China 09:03  |  Raymond in DC 24/04/08
      14.   we are strong enough to avoid Auschwitz 2 09:56  |  most Important 24/04/08
      15.   The greed, the arrogance, the stupidity of Israel 09:57  |  Clickfool 24/04/08
      16.   Not a Chance, Washington is an Israeli Occupied Territories 10:01  |  El-Birawi 24/04/08
      17.   America Must Never Trust Israel Again 10:22  |  True Blue Ameircan 24/04/08
      18.   And the good news is 11:21  |  DJStahl 24/04/08
      19.   AIPAC spy case ? 12:37  |  Chris 24/04/08
      20.   to Clickdummy 13:00  |  Levi 24/04/08
      21.   Kadish and ignorance 13:06  |  Scott G 24/04/08
      22.   ISRAEL IS NOT AMERICA`S ALLY... IT IS AN ENEMY 13:46  |  TripleJump 24/04/08
      23.   The `free` American Press. 14:45  |  Cool B 24/04/08
      24.   A friend In NEED is a friend indeed. 15:02  |  Cool B 24/04/08
      25.   #13 Raymond in DC 15:09  |  Advocate4Liberty 24/04/08
      26.   Triple Jump Not Quite Right, but Almost 15:09  |  Steven Grumman 24/04/08
      27.   Kadish 15:15  |  jerry 24/04/08
      28.   Keep whistling in the dark, Levi # 20 15:39  |  Clickfool 24/04/08
      29.   Clickfool, not true in the U.S. 16:04  |  Sam 24/04/08
      30.   Don`t we give them enough weapons so they continue their military 16:34  |  Tupac 24/04/08
      31.   Yes -we acknowledge the fact, that he was a cleaner 16:49  |  Sal 24/04/08
      32.   Spying 16:55  |  david 24/04/08
      33.   Double standards. 17:01  |  Avi 24/04/08
      34.   He will DIE in JAIL ;;;;;ROT 17:02  |  American 24/04/08
      35.   the smell of rotten fish and hypocrisy!!! 17:03  |  v hardman 24/04/08
      36.   most important: What are you talking about? 17:05  |  MN 24/04/08
      37.   Time To Drag Out The USS SPYSHIP LIBERTY 17:11  |  GZLives 24/04/08
      38.   Republican conspiracy 17:17  |  msh 24/04/08
      39.   #16 ElBirawi-So is that why Pals move here? 17:17  |  Aphemia 24/04/08
      40.   SO WHAT? SYRIA SPYIES ON LIBYA, 17:44  |  Chris 24/04/08
      41.   VOICE OF RIPPED OF AMERICAN to MOISHA)))))))) 18:04  |  See Above 24/04/08
      42.   America and China, America and Israel (to Advocate4Liberty) 18:26  |  Raymond in DC 24/04/08
      43.   Politics of Damage Assessment 18:32  |  Mark Lincoln 24/04/08
      44.   re #11 `This time Israel is not fooling around` 19:13  |  Colin Wright 24/04/08
      45.   What sort of people? 19:45  |  Terence 24/04/08
      46.   #22 It is her #1 Enemy You are 100% correct 20:14  |  Mark 24/04/08
      47.   to #2/3 Voice of Moshiach 21:47  |  Philip 24/04/08
      48.   Kadish was an Israeli agent 22:32  |  david irons 24/04/08
      49.   Pollard 04:52  |  Mannstein 25/04/08
      50.   Raymond in DC # 13 Allies--NOT 18:50  |  American in NY 25/04/08
      51.   #42 Raymond 14:49  |  Advocate4Liberty 26/04/08
      52.   kudos to Haaretz 03:47  |  tired american 06/08/08
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