It is – rightfully – front-page news that Israel was caught spying [6]on the closed-door negotiations between the U.S. and Iran.
And the Obama administration is particularly outraged that Israel allegedly shared [6] that information with Republican congressmen who want to stop any peaceful deal with Iran.
This is certainly outrageous … but small, in the grand scheme of things.
Why?
Because Israeli spying on America is so rampant that U.S. officials have labeled it “alarming, even terrifying” [7].
And because the U.S. has only half-heartedly asked Israel to stop … Israel has told the U.S. to pound sand [8].
As if that isn’t bad enough, the NSA voluntarily shares the raw data [9] it collects on American citizens with Israel.
This includes raw data on U.S. government officials [9]. This not only raises major privacy concerns for American citizens, but it might mean that Israel is spying on the American Congress and other high-level politicians [10].
Indeed, leaked NSA documents show that U.S. intelligence officials are concerned that the NSA may be putting Israel’s security needs ahead of America’s [9].
Moreover, top NSA officials have told Washington’s Blog that mass surveillance by the NSA is really aimed at blackmail [11]. And see this [12].
Indeed, 5,000 years of history [13] shows that spying on one’s own people is always aimed at crushing dissent. (Incidentally, opposing unnecessary, costly wars - such as war against Iran - is treated as terrorism and unacceptable dissent [14].)
But it's not just Americans ... America’s spy apparatus also helps foreign governments - like Israel - crush dissent in their countries [15].
Indeed, spying is really a power grab [16]. As Snowden accurately said [17]:
These programs were never about terrorism: they’re about economic spying, social control, and diplomatic manipulation. They’re about power.