Israel...The Troublesome Ally

[Wu Wei]

I remember it.

Now if anyone else on the planet did that...what do you think would happen. Frankly I don't get it and I don't get why there was not at least a slap on the wrist for the spying thing on the White House, considering the usual tone of the place these days

 

[Brickjectivity]

I was being diplomatic with understatement.

I thought I was being more diplomatic, but you could be second best.

 

[Revoltingest]

Now if anyone else on the planet did that...what do you think would happen. Frankly I don't get it and I don't get why there was not at least a slap on the wrist for the spying thing on the White House, considering the usual tone of the place

And to think we almost went to war with Iran over shooting down an unmanned drone.

 

[wandering peacefully]

We may complain about what we find.
They may complain about what they find.

Sure. They and we should complain but this spying business has been going on forever and is now just accepted as part of the way governments operate. I think it is hard to complain too much about something everyone does to each other.

 

[Ouroboros]

What's a little spying between friends.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

Countries, including friendly countries, "spy" on each other. It's just better not to get caught. A couple of decades or so ago, we got caught "spying" on the Canadian government, and that was sorta embarrassing.

Because we were spying or because it was Canada?

 

[sun rise]

This is not the problem I have with Israel. I think it's perfectly OK to spy on your national neighbors, just not the house next door, of course.

But I hope they and we are spending a lot more time on our enemies compared to our "friends".

 

[Wu Wei]

And to think we almost went to war with Iran over shooting down an unmanned drone.

yup....but..then then didn't attack a USS warship in unmarked jets and uniforms....if they'd did..they may have gotten a pass too

But hey, the USS Liberty did look an awful lot like the El Quiser after all

 

[Dan From Smithville]

At his stage of Parkinsons, he's prolly dealing with bad hallucinations.
Not what they'd want in a spy.

That is more of a presidential qualification.

 

[Revoltingest]

Sure. They and we should complain but this spying business has been going on forever and is now just accepted as part of the way governments operate. I think it is hard to complain too much about something everyone does to each other.

You're not advocating accepting or permitting it, are you?

 

[Ouroboros]

Because we were spying or because it was Canada?

We never forgave them for 1812.

 

[Revoltingest]

That is more of a presidential qualification.

You wicked wicked man!

 

[Ouroboros]

To be serious though, Hamas is supposed to be the top-notch secret organization in the world. That they got exposed for spying on us might be just a diversion. We found these simple and silly spy tools, while in reality, they got the real stuff going and we don't even know it. We just feel good about ourselves for finding their toy stuff and won't find the serious things.

 

[PureX]

The Israelis have long ago learned that the U.S. government is for sale to the highest campaign donors. And they've been getting billions of American tax dollars for many decades by bribing our politicians, and by spying on them, and collecting any sort of dirt that they can use to make sure our politicians continue to appropriate billions more dollars to Israel because they are "our friends" in the middle east. Friends that rob the citizens of the U.S. blind, friends that routinely corrupt our politicians, and friends that immediately cry "antisemitism" anytime any of us dares to call their behavior unfriendly.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

You wicked wicked man!

Bad bunny. Baaaad bunny!

 

[metis]

Because we were spying or because it was Canada?

Both. Many countries do this, but getting one's hands caught in the cookie jar is sorta embarrassing, especially if it's a close buddy who owns the jar.

 

[Flankerl]

The Israelis have long ago learned that the U.S. government is for sale to the highest campaign donors. And they've been getting billions of American tax dollars for many decades by bribing our politicians, and by spying on them, and collecting any sort of dirt that they can use to make sure our politicians continue to appropriate billions more dollars to Israel because they are "our friends" in the middle east. Friends that rob the citizens of the U.S. blind, friends that routinely corrupt their politicians, and friends that immediately cry "antisemitism" anytime any of us dares to call their behavior unfriendly.

Meanwhile back in reality the US gives Israel Gift Cards with which it can only buy US military hardware.
It does of course do the same with Egypt since both countries started to receive these Gift Cards at the same time to bring Egypt out of the Soviet camp and to keep the peace between both countries.

But I realise that your version is much flashier.


And since you put "our friends" in quotes I can only assume that you do the same to your own country, as in you?
Just because it has been 5 years when the US was caught spying on the entire German Parliament and Chancellory from the roof of its embassy.

I hope you are appalled by that and don't reserve your outrage to cases when it fits your bias.

 

[Revoltingest]

Bad bunny. Baaaad bunny!

 

[Stevicus]

Israel bugs the White House....

I thought they were supposed to make periodic sweeps for bugs and things like that.

Of course, I guess they must be difficult to find. I still remember the last scene of The Conversation where Gene Hackman knows his apartment is bugged, but he goes crazy and tears up the place trying to find the bug.

 

[Tumah]

In the news...
Israel accused of planting mysterious spy devices near the White House
Excerpted....
The U.S. government concluded within the last two years that Israel was most likely behind the placement of cell-phone surveillance devices that were found near the White House and other sensitive locations around Washington, D.C., according to three former senior U.S. officials with knowledge of the matter.

But unlike most other occasions when flagrant incidents of foreign spying have been discovered on American soil, the Trump administration did not rebuke the Israeli government, and there were no consequences for Israel’s behavior, one of the former officials said.

As for Israel’s recent surveillance of the White House, one of the former senior U.S. intelligence officials acknowledged it raised security concerns but joked, “On the other hand, guess what we do in Tel Aviv?"​