Israel’s aggressive and widespread espionage activity in the US is increasingly angering American government officials and has “crossed red lines,” Newsweek reported Tuesday.

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email
and never miss our top stories Free Sign up!

The report anonymously quotes senior intelligence officials and congressional staffers who have been privy to information on Israeli spying activities. Staffers called the extent of Israeli espionage “sobering” and “shocking,” far exceeding similar activities by any other close US allies.

Some of the spying was allegedly industrial in nature, conducted by Israeli companies or individuals. But a significant amount appeared to be state-sanctioned reconnaissance gathering, according to the report.

“There are no other countries taking advantage of our security relationship the way the Israelis are for espionage purposes,” one former aide who attended a classified briefing on the issue told Newsweek. “It is quite shocking. I mean, it shouldn’t be lost on anyone that after all the hand-wringing over [Jonathan] Pollard, it’s still going on.”

Pollard, a US-born navy intelligence analyst, is serving a life sentence in a North Carolina prison for spying for Israel. He was captured in 1985.

Read more: US officials: Extent of Israeli spying 'shocking' | The Times of Israel http://www.timesofisrael.com/us-officials-extent-of-israeli-...