Does Old Spy Case Threaten New Arms Sales to Israel?

So asks the Jerusalem Post, in an analysis of the arrest this week of Ben-Ami Kadish, a former U.S. Army engineer charged with spying for Israel in the 1980s.

Some see ulterior motives behind the disclosure in 2008 of an alleged spy who allegedly stopped spying more than 20 years ago.

"The content is not the only interesting thing here," said Zalman Shoval, Israel's ambassador to Washington between
1998 and 2000. "There is also the timing. If this is such an old story, why is it coming out now?" . . .

*The concern in the defense establishment is that this affair could have far-reaching negative consequences, such as a dampening of relations with the Pentagon, which have only recently been normalized after going through a crisis in 2003 over Israeli defense ties with China.
*

This is of particular worry, since several important joint deals are currently on the table, including Israel's involvement in the
Joint Strike Fighter program, and the integration of Israeli systems in the advanced stealth-enabled fighter jet. A new crisis with the
Pentagon could cast a dark cloud over such deals and make Israel again persona non grata in the Pentagon.

(Photo: AP/Frank Franklin II)