Israeli intel officials shouted at US counterparts after Trump disclosure: report
Israeli intelligence officials have expressed anger that President Trump revealed sensitive information during a meeting with Russian officials last week, saying it could have compromised a source, Foreign Policy reported Friday.
“To them, it is horrifying,” a U.S. defense official told Foreign Policy. “Their first question was: What is going on? What is this?”
The official said that Israeli intelligence officials were shouting at their American counterparts in meetings just days before Trump arrives in Tel Aviv.
The report follows another article earlier this week that said Israeli intelligence officers were “boiling mad and demanding answers” over Trump’s disclosure, which came during an Oval Office meeting with two Russian diplomats last week.
{mosads}
Trump reportedly disclosed classified information to the Russians regarding an Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) plot to mask bombs in laptops and reportedly divulged the name of the city where the plot was being hatched.
The official cited by Foreign Policy said the details shared by the president may have come from a source that was knowledgeable about Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and its ties to Hezbollah – an adversary to Israel – in Syria and Lebanon.
The official said there is a fear in Israel that Trump’s slip could damage the country’s intelligence and put lives as risk. Trump on Twitter defended his interactions with the Russians, saying he shared “facts” amid the mutual fight against ISIS.
The Friday report comes as Trump embarks on his first overseas trip as president, which includes stops in Israel that the White House has touted as an opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations.
Trump departed Washington as his administration grappled with revelations surrounding the investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia during the election.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.