Arabic version: البنتاغون يرفع مستوى التهديد بسبب أنشطة التجسس الإسرائيلية

The Pentagon’s intelligence arm has raised the assessed threat level on Israeli spying from “high” to “critical” in recent weeks, according to US media. NBC News first broke news of the change on Friday, with The New York Times issuing its own report the following day.

According to Al Jazeera, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) raised the alert level due to fears that Israel is increasingly attempting to surveil senior US officials. This surveillance is reportedly aimed at gaining insight into internal discussions within the White House regarding the war’s future.

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu have publicly diverged in their approach to the war, which the US and Israel started on February 28. Trump has expressed a desire to conclude the war, amid rising domestic pressure, while Netanyahu has called for the war to resume, despite an April 8 ceasefire.

Reports indicate that the DIA noted an increase in Israeli espionage activities beginning in late 2024, coinciding with heightened US pressure on Israel concerning its genocidal war in Gaza. Intelligence assessments have suggested that Israel is monitoring key figures, including Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Pentagon policy officials.

The allegations of Israeli espionage have raised questions about the longstanding intelligence and military cooperation between the US and Israel. Although the US has historically provided significant military support to Israel, concerns about the nature of Israeli intelligence operations have intensified. Recent incidents, including attempts to plant listening devices at US intelligence facilities, highlight the unique nature of Israel’s recent activities, surpassing those of other US allies.