Former heads of Israeli spy agency call for cutting off stream of intelligence after Trump's reveal


Former heads of the Israeli spy agency Mossad expressed fury with President Trump after it was revealed he shared highly classified information with Russian officials last week. "If tomorrow I were asked to pass information to the CIA, I would do everything I could to not pass it to them," Shabtai Shavit, who headed Mossad in the 1990s, told The Times of Israel.
Another former Mossad head, Danny Yatom, said: "We need to punish the Americans, it's possible, so that we don't put Trump in a position where he is again tempted. We need to abstain from transferring information to him, or to only give him partial information so that he can't endanger any source." A current Israeli intelligence official added: "We have to re-evaluate if we should pass along information and what information we should pass along to the Americans. This is our greatest ally, and we share with them heaps of super-secret information."
Shavit additionally refused to excuse Trump's error as being a rookie mistake. "It's, what? One hundred and twenty days since he got into the White House? Foul-up follows foul-up over there," he said. "[Trump] is trying to run the country like he ran his private company — and it doesn't work. What can you do? It doesn't work. That's the source of the troubles."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Israel is believed to have been the source of the intelligence Trump shared with the Russians. Trump is set to visit the country during his first trip abroad next week.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Trump urges jail for Illinois, Chicago leaders
Speed Read The Texas National Guard begin operations in the Chicago area
-
Bondi stonewalls on Epstein, Comey in Senate face-off
Speed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi denied charges of using the Justice Department in service of Trump’s personal vendettas
-
Court allows Trump’s Texas troops to head to Chicago
Speed Read Trump is ‘using our service members as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,’ said Gov. J.B. Pritzker
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in Oregon
Speed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal