ISRAEL: What is behind spy arrest?

The arrest of 84-year-old Ben-ami Kadish on charges of spying for Israel continues to fuel speculation and analysis here and in the U.S. A Jerusalem Post survey showed that 71% of more than 3,000 respondents believed that the Kadish case would harm U.S.-Israeli relations.

Much of the speculation centers on the curious timing of the arrest — not only more than 20 years after Kadish's alleged crimes took place but one month before President Bush will travel here to help celebrate the 60th anniversary of the state of Israel's founding.

One interpretation was that the Bush administration was using the case to pressure Israel into greater concessions in its talks with the Palestinians. Another claimed that the U.S. Justice Department remained obsessed with proving that convicted Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard was just part of a larger ongoing network.

"The Justice Department is targeting Israel," said former Mossad official Yossi Alpher. "They have been looking for additional Americans spying for Israel for a long, long time."

The American Conservative magazine's blog, citing Israeli sources, alleged that the case was initiated by a leak from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government — with doves inside the government seeking to sabotage a looming Bush-Olmert push for military confrontation with Syria.

A fascinating article in the Congressional Quarterly puts forth another possibility. Kadish wasn't fully retired from spying. The article said Kadish remained in contact with his former Mossad handler, a man identified here as Yossi Yagur, who also handled Pollard and fled the U.S. after Pollard's arrest.

Kadish even apparently visited Yagur in Israel in 2004, a meeting that only makes sense if Kadish was still Yagur's agent, author Jeff Stein writes.

"One role Kadish could play was as a 'spotter' who could size up possible recruits for Israeli intelligence even while living in retirement," the article says.

One thing seems clear: The Kadish case has damaged the chances of a presidential pardon for Pollard, who is serving a life sentence and whose supporters had been campaigning for a pardon before the end of Bush's final term.

Pollard, according to his wife, says he never knew Kadish.

— Ashraf Khalil in Jerusalem

Comments

[Alex]

Everyone spies on each other, even friends. I have to believe our government knew about the old timer. The question is why did they out him now? The author realized this and offered a theory: to pressure Israel into making concessions. Is this true? Who knows? Maybe we'll find out 20 years from now...

[betz55]

What about the mole inside the US government called Mega? It is time for the U.S. to break the grip that the unholy alliance of Christian and Jewish Zionists have on our foreign policy. Israel is upset because we may not support them while they do their dirty work against us.. Israel is the biggest and most dangerous destabilizing force in the Middle East. Israel is the rogue nuclear power. Israel is the state that is practicing apartheid. At present, Israel is not a source of stability but a serious catalyst of instability because of its belligerent policies. Israel has proven itself to be the most demonstratively warlike state in the Middle East. They have attacked Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, factions inside Lebanon and currently occupy territory in at least two other sovereign nations using "defense" as justification. Israel hasn't complied with a single UN resolution. Cut off their aid and be done with them. We have our own to attend to.

[Frank]

I think the Israeli's had many agents stealing our secrets during the 80's and up to now.

-Frank
http://patrioticactivist.com/2008/04/28/how-much-food-can-i-grow-around-my-house/