Jason Reed
Israel spied on private talks the U.S. held with Iran on nuclear weapons, and gave information to members of Congress in order to gain support against the deal, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. Citing senior White House officials, the report claims Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wanted inside information on the closed-door talks in order to lobby support and build a case against the deal. The White House reportedly discovered the snooping after U.S. intelligence agencies spying on Israel intercepted messages containing details that only could have come from the private talks. The Journal also reported Israel obtained “information from confidential U.S. briefings, informants, and diplomatic contacts in Europe.” Israeli officials denied the report’s claims and said they received intelligence in other ways. On Tuesday, Israeli defense minister Moshe Ya'alon stated that Israel hadn't recieved a formal complaint from the White House, and said it was "a shame there are people who try to create conflict."