What is the difference between "friendly spying" and "espionage"? Is spying for an ally "friendly" as opposed to spying for an enemy? Are some spies exempt from the laws?
I am repeating what Bill Gertz reported and he is knowledgeable about the subject.
All countries spy on each other. It's like gathering opposition research during a presidential campaign. It's what they do with the result of their spying and who they report to.
We spy on Israel. Israel spies on us. It's what Israel does with that information that makes the difference between so-called friendly spying and espionage.