Israel reduced intelligence sharing with the US this spring because Benjamin Netanyahu didn't trust the Biden administration, report says
- Israel gave the US less intel about its Iran plans this spring, the NYT reported.
- It was because then-Prime Minister Netanyahu didn't trust the Biden administration, the report said.
- A grudge against Obama and belief that the US was spying on him could have been factors.
Israel reduced the amount of intelligence it shared with the US this spring as then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not trust President Joe Biden's administration, The New York Times reported.
American and Israeli officials told The Times that Netanyahu had ordered officials to send less information about their plans in Iran.
Israel also gave the US less than two hours' notice when it attacked a nuclear plant in Iran in April, giving the US no chance to influence it, the officials said.
According to The Times, Netanyahu's mistrust came because:
- Israeli officials said the US leaked information about some of Israel's plans, though the US denied it.
- Israeli officials said the Biden administration was more focused on reviving the Iran nuclear deal than paying attention to Israel's security concerns.
- A former Israeli official said Netanyahu thought the US was spying on him.
American officials also told The Times that they believed Netanyahu still held a grudge with former President Barack Obama's administration - under which Biden served as vice president - for nuclear deal.
Netanyahu was unseated as prime minister by Israel's parliament in June, after leading the country for 12 years, and became the opposition leader.
The new prime minister, Naftali Bennett, is meeting Biden in the White House on Thursday.