Pentagon declares Israeli espionage a ‘critical threat’ to US as Trump-Netanyahu rift grows-Report

The report comes as rifts between Trump and Netanyahu continue to grow. Last week Trump told Netanyahu, “Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this.”

As the rift between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu grows,  the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency has issued a threat assessment raising the level for Israel to ‘critical.’

According to a report by NBC, citing two current US officials and one former official, said that the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has quietly upgraded Israel’s counter-intelligence threat level to “critical”, the highest rating it uses internally.

Citing one current official, NBC reported that the US has long taken extra precautions during official visits to Israel, because Israeli intelligence agencies have long been seen as particularly aggressive collectors of information.

These measures reportedly include using temporary computers, burner phones, and strict communication rules during high-level trips.

Senior American officials often avoid discussing sensitive topics inside hotel rooms or other potentially vulnerable locations while in Israel.

The move comes at a time when there is growing unease in parts of the US defense community that Israel may be trying to gather intelligence on the Trump administration’s internal thinking about Middle East conflicts.

The updated assessment was circulated in recent weeks, at a time when rising tensions between US President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu over the war with Iran are visible, especially after last week's heated call between the two leaders.

Also Read: ‘In the best of families…’ Netanyahu downplays Trump’s ‘f**** crazy’ remarks

Trump-Nethanyahu’s growing rift

Earlier this week, Axios reported that Trump had a heated call with Netanyahu in which he angrily criticized Israeli threats to resume strikes on southern Beirut suburbs, warning that the actions were damaging Israel’s global standing. According to the report, Trump told Netanyahu: “Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this.”

Trump later acknowledged calling the Israeli leader “crazy,” adding fuel to speculation that the longtime allies are increasingly at odds over long-term strategy in the Middle East.

Although Netanyahu overplayed the strong language used by President Donald Trump. He described the differences between the two leaders as normal “tactical disagreements” that happen even “as in the best of families,” while stressing that the overall alliance between Israel and the United States remains rock solid.

Speaking in a CNBC interview in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said, “Sometimes we have, as in the best of families, these tactical disagreements where you always find a way to work them out, and we do so as great friends.”He added that he and Trump “agree on the main things,” particularly on preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, and noted that they speak regularly. However, he declined to go into specifics about the call, saying only, “I’m not going to get into details.”

Also Read: Trump announces halt on Israeli strike in Lebanon and 'rapid talks’ with Iran after call with Netanyahu

Entire story is ‘false'; officials deny report

Officials familiar with the matter told NBC that the DIA issued an internal notice along with a seven-page assessment highlighting Israel’s human and technical intelligence capabilities, which it now rates as operating at a “critical” level.

The document mentions several incidents that contributed to the concerns, though there wasn’t one single triggering event. The practical impact is likely to fall mainly on US personnel traveling to Israel or working with Israeli counterparts, who may now follow even tighter security protocols.

Routine intelligence sharing between the two allies is not expected to change.

Emily Harding, vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, described Israeli intelligence as extremely proactive. “They are exceedingly interested in what we are up to,” she told NBC News.

Israel has strongly denied the allegations. A spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy in Washington called the claims “completely false,” stating that “Israel does not gather intelligence on American entities, let alone US government officials,” and that its operations focus on adversaries, not allies.

A White House official also dismissed the entire story as false, saying it came from someone who doesn’t have accurate knowledge of the situation.

While intelligence gathering between allies is not uncommon, some US officials believe the reported Israeli activities go beyond what is normally accepted among close partners.

(with ANI inputs)