Full Release - IRmep

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for.:- it.
MR t MCLAUGHLlN: Well, I think the gene~al assumption is tha~ nations
sPY on each other'whethe~ theY'~e friendly or not.
AMB. AYALON: Absolutely.
.MR. MCLAUGHLIN: And there isn't ve~y much doub~ in my mind tha~ we have
our spies, if they are earn~ng some o~ that $40 billion that we pu~ out
for CIA, et cetera, ~here are spies in your government working for us.
Absolutely? .
AHB: ~Y~ON: ~o~lr~ fi9h~ ~h~t -- no, y~yl~~ ;ig~t ~nqt n?~~O~$f even
friendly ones, do spy on each othe;-. 1his .is a common, .let.ts say,
understanding. But 'afte~ Pollard, l can t~ll you he~e aga~n that rs~ae~
MR. MCLAUGHLIN: The Pol~ard case.
AMa. AYALON: After th~ Pollard case fro~ 20 so y~ars agQ, we took .~
lsrael tQok ~ strategic defense -- strategic -decision nQt. to do any
kind ot intelligence gat.hering of ~hat. ~ype on the United States, and
we adhere to i~ and we don't. want even anytning which will be remotely ­
c10se to such activ~ty because o£ the unique relation$hip between
Israel and the United States. The relationship is un1que jn te~ms of
clos~ness. . .
MR. .MCLAUGHLIN;
And preciou.s.
AMB. ~YALON: Not just. ~Qe pres~ur~.
MR. MCLAUGH~IN: Precious.
AMB. AYALON: Not just -- very precious, ¥oulre right. Very precious. We
cherish it. We wil~ not do anyth~ng to ~mpair ~t. And a9ain, no~ do we
MR: MG~UGHL~N: I ~hin~ thQs~ genia~s a~~ ~eassu~~99. lIm not. $ure it
clears my hurd~e of that people in yo~r station are required by the
circumst~nces ot your dtp~6matic status to automatica11y d$ny
everything, but I think you've gone a ~tep beyond that. -
~. _ _. w __
~yt ~ nav~ ~ que~t;09 w;th ~~9a~9 ~o ~IPA9. AI~~C ~~ ~ f~0~~i~~in9 qnd
very successful lobby. It. does exce~l~nt. work 9n the par~ of Israel,
but ;it. is -- i~ appears that. AIPJ\C is functioning as an intermedia~y,
a~ this sto~y has been d~~eloped and pu~ forward. Now AI~AC den~ed any
involvement, but 1 want to reaq you the lan9uage: .
"Any al_legatio~ of criminal. conduct. by J\IPAC OL: ou~ employees is false
and baseles~. Ne~the~ AIPAC no~ any of its employees bas vio!a~~d any
laws o~ ~ules, nor has ~~~~G 0;- its employees ever rece~ved ~nformat;on
they believed was secre~ or classified."
Does that sound like ~
categorical denial to you?
AMB. A¥ALON: I think so. 1 cannot. speak, ot cQu~se, .foL: AIPAC. I think
it's a very, very g09d American organizati9n, and we very much ,