Lekem
Encyclopedia
Lekem, an acronym for ha-Lishka le-Kishrei Mada , was an Israel
i intelligence agency. It collected scientific and technical intelligence abroad from both open and covert sources. It was disbanded in 1986 following the arrest of Jonathan Pollard
for espionage
on behalf of Israel
. Pollard was a United States Navy
intelligence employee in the Naval Anti-Terrorist Alert Center in Washington, D.C.
He was paid for delivering large amounts of classified documents to Lekem agents at the Israeli embassy. Pollard was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The Israeli government asserted that the operation was an unauthorized deviation from its policy of not conducting espionage
against the United States before an admission in 1998 of Israeli responsibility. In 1987 the Israeli government set up a commission to investigate the affair, which found it would be in Israel's interest to take responsibility for the case. In 1987 the government decided to disband the organization, whose functions were assigned to the Director of Security of the Defense Establishment, adding technical and scientific intelligence to its responsibilities which include internal investigations of the defense ministry.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i intelligence agency. It collected scientific and technical intelligence abroad from both open and covert sources. It was disbanded in 1986 following the arrest of Jonathan Pollard
Jonathan Pollard
Jonathan Jay Pollard worked as a civilian intelligence analyst before being convicted of spying for Israel. He received a life sentence in 1987....
for espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
on behalf of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Pollard was a United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
intelligence employee in the Naval Anti-Terrorist Alert Center in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
He was paid for delivering large amounts of classified documents to Lekem agents at the Israeli embassy. Pollard was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The Israeli government asserted that the operation was an unauthorized deviation from its policy of not conducting espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
against the United States before an admission in 1998 of Israeli responsibility. In 1987 the Israeli government set up a commission to investigate the affair, which found it would be in Israel's interest to take responsibility for the case. In 1987 the government decided to disband the organization, whose functions were assigned to the Director of Security of the Defense Establishment, adding technical and scientific intelligence to its responsibilities which include internal investigations of the defense ministry.