> I’d wager every major country conducts espionage operations against every other country, friend and foe alike. <
Bingo. I would, in fact, be surprised if Israel wasn’t gently spying on the United States. And I would be surprised if the United States wasn’t gently spying on Israel.
And it’s part of the game to act offended when caught, and deny everything.
Exactly, yet my surprise would come only if there was anything gentle about it from either side.
The only thing a LITTLE bit special about the US/Israel case is the pressure to almost NEVER talk about it, permit it to be reported.
"Will not be HELPFUL" -- a description so concise yet so treacherous and far-reaching.
BTW, I just watched a new Netflix mini-series titled “The Spy.” It’s about Mossad’s top spy in Syria in the early 60s. I highly recommend it. Very fascinating how Eli Cohen got into Mossad and how he then got into Syria and eventually into the highest ranks of the Syrian government. It stars Sacha Cohen (yes, “Borat”) in this dramatic role.