Shalom: Mole affair is exaggerated 'media nonsense'

[Gimel]

Officials confirmed Monday that a senior Israeli diplomat in Washington met several times with Larry Franklin, a Pentagon analyst being investigated by the FBI on suspicion he passed classified information on Iran to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

However, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom - denying allegations of espionage - said such meetings are commonplace and the two governments routinely share secrets.

"Israel and the United States have intimate ties ... and the information being exchanged is much more classified than any conversation that may have taken place," Shalom told a joint news conference with his German counterpart, Joschka Fischer.

The Israeli diplomat was identified as Naor Gilon, head of the political department at Israel's embassy in Washington, and a specialist on nuclear weapons proliferation. Israel says Iran and its nuclear ambitions pose the greatest threat to the Jewish state.

Continued..

[pa28]

1. Exaggerated?

Outside of this forum I have seen very little coverage of this story. The implications could shatter the government so, naturally, the media has been as silent as possible.

[atreides1]

2. Why

Is a senior Israeli diplomat having meetings with an analyst, who according to the Pentagon did not have access to anything regarding policy.

I think the Israelis need to shut up at this point in time, because all they are doing is causing more and more people to look in their direction.

Also, if the two governments routinely share secrets, perhaps someone can shed light as to why Jonathan Pollard is serving life in prison for espionage. If I recall Pollard gave Israel information that he felt represented a threat to the nation of Israel, but for some reason
the US did not feel the need to "routinely" share.

[bemildred]

4. Mr. Pollard remains in jail and has no prospects for release.

I think you are right that the Israelis would do well to turn
off the media barrage at this point and stop attracting further
attention with clumsy attempts at deflection. Their best defense
is candor, not bullshit.

[Gimel]

6. The Israeli media

is primarily for the Israelis. There is concern in Israel about the condition of the relationship with the US.

There is also a tendency to assume guilt when people do "shut up". If you have no comment if someone accused you of a crime, it would be pretty strange, wouldn't it?

[bemildred]

7. "No comment" is quite standard practice, actually, in

diplomacy and litigation and so on. It is precisely the immediate
flurry of stories that suggests that something is really at issue.
The first thing one does with unpleasant news is to try to ignore it.

AIPAC got immediately huffy in the US media, and so have a number of
other people. There is, of course, good reason to be worried about
this, although I would be surprised to see it have serious consequences
for the "special relationship" as things stand now. It may have
unpleasant effects on the individuals involved, and it is to be
sure a serious business.

[atreides1]

8. True

But if you come on to strong with a defense you can do the same thing.

[finecraft]

3. Why, what a coincidence!

The article says Naor Gilon is a specialist on nuclear weapons proliferation........isn't that what Valerie Plame was working on when she was outed by Bob Novak?

[Darranar]

5. Of course he would say so...

that doesn't mean it's true.

[Fight_n_back]

9. If there were a spy then Novak would have printed his name by now

The Bush administration plays fast and loose with the names of spies.