<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Occupied Palestine | فلسطين]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[occupiedpalestine]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/author/hajarhajar/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[Report: Leak case was linked to US spying on&nbsp;Israel]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="45708" data-permalink="https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/2011/09/06/report-leak-case-was-linked-to-us-spying-on-israel/38491_07d82e/" data-orig-file="https://occupiedpalestine.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/38491_07d82e.jpg" data-orig-size="500,281" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}" data-image-title="38491_07d82e" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="https://occupiedpalestine.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/38491_07d82e.jpg?w=500" data-large-file="https://occupiedpalestine.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/38491_07d82e.jpg?w=500" src="https://occupiedpalestine.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/38491_07d82e.jpg?w=500&#038;h=281" alt="" title="38491_07d82e" width="500" height="281" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-45708" /><br />
Maan News Agency | Sept 2011</p>
<p>WASHINGTON (AFP) &#8212; An FBI translator was sentenced to 20 months in prison last year for leaking secret US wiretaps of the Israeli embassy to a blogger, the New York Times reported Tuesday.</p>
<p>Prosecutors and even the judge were tight-lipped about the case, the first of a record five prosecutions of individuals who leaked information to the press during Barack Obama&#8217;s administration.</p>
<p>But the Times said, based on an interview with the blogger, Richard Silverstein, that contract Hebrew translator Shamai Leibowitz had leaked documents related to sensitive US efforts to spy on a close ally.</p>
<p>Silverstein, who runs the liberal Jewish blog &#8220;Tikun Olam,&#8221; said Leibowitz had passed along some 200 pages of verbatim phone records because he feared an Israeli attack on Iran and was concerned about Israel&#8217;s efforts to lobby the US Congress and the American public.</p>
<p>The Times said it was not able to fully corroborate Silverstein&#8217;s account, and US and Israeli embassy officials could not immediately be reached for comment.</p>
<p>Silverstein, identified as &#8220;Recipient A&#8221; in court records, said he had burned the documents when Leibowitz came under investigation in 2009.</p>
<p>He recalled, however, that the conversations included discussions among American supporters of Israel, embassy officials and at least one member of Congress.</p>
<p>Silverstein told the Times he had decided to speak out to make it clear that Leibowitz, who was prosecuted under the Espionage Act, had noble motives.</p>
<p>&#8220;I see him as an American patriot and a whistle-blower, and I&#8217;d like his actions to be seen in that context,&#8221; the Times quoted Silverstein as saying.</p>
<p>&#8220;What really concerned Shamai at the time was the possibility of an Israeli strike on Iran, which he thought would be damaging to both Israel and the United States.&#8221;</p>
<p>Both Israel and the United States have refused to rule out a military strike on Iran to halt its nuclear enrichment program, which they believe is aimed at producing weapons, charges denied by Tehran.</p>
<p>The Times quoted experts as saying it is common knowledge that the United States spies on Israel despite the two countries&#8217; close military alliance.</p>
<p>The Obama administration has taken an especially strong line against officials who divulge information to journalists, bringing a record five prosecutions under the Espionage Act.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=418098">Source</a></p>
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