Israeli espionage case skirted public's radar

ISRAELI INTRIGUE

This week, with the Middle East on the front pages of international news, our vice president visiting countries in that region and sympathy and support riding high for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, there is a sense of shock about the quiet and unofficial deporting, without any serious legal charges, of about 120 alleged Israeli espionage agents.

The story was published in France and confirmed by an official in our Justice Department. The Israeli Embassy said that it contained "no truth," and Fox News, after preparing and advertising a four-part investigation into Israeli espionage in America, withdrew all material on the program.

The details of this Israeli operation are contained in a 61-page task force report. The task force was made up of agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration's Office of Security Programs, the FBI and U.S. Air Force intelligence units. The DEA was first on the ball when its agents detected young Israeli spies making contacts with their undercover agents in January 2001.

Months of investigation found more than 120 Israelis between the ages of 22 and 30 claiming as their cover to be graphic arts students from Jerusalem University or the Betzalel Fine Arts Academy. The concept of "layout and design" suddenly took on a whole new meaning.

Some of them entered and left the United States several times, staying for a short while on each occasion. The "students" operated in cells of four to eight members, each with a team leader, out of San Diego; Irving, Texas; Little Rock, Ark.; and Hollywood and Miami, Fla. They operated in about 40 other cities as well. It is said that many of them tried to make contact with government officials, while others targeted and penetrated military bases, dozens of DEA and FBI buildings and other government agencies.