FBI Surveillance Files Reveal Extensive Monitoring of Israelis in 1950s
Translated & summarized from Cursorinfo by baba
Declassified FBI documents reveal extensive surveillance of Israelis and American Jews in the 1950s, including future president Chaim Herzog and diplomat Teddy Kollek. The FBI investigated hotel payments, flights, credit histories, and potential information leaks. The surveillance targeted diplomats, activists, and businessmen, with investigations lasting over a decade. The documents also detail concerns about the U.S. embassy's status in Jerusalem and the reliability of intelligence sources.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- FBI documents reveal extensive 1950s surveillance of dozens of Israelis and American Jews.
- Future Israeli President Chaim Herzog and diplomat Teddy Kollek were among those monitored.
- Investigations included hotel payments, El Al flights, credit histories, and potential espionage.
- The FBI pursued leads from sources, including unreliable information from the Arab League.
- Surveillance also covered diplomatic mail and attempts to infiltrate El Al.
- FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover expressed concerns about the U.S. embassy's status in Jerusalem.
Newly declassified FBI documents, obtained by the Israeli news outlet Ynet after a 12-year request, reveal extensive surveillance of dozens of Israelis and American Jews in the 1950s. The approximately 1,700 pages of documents, part of a file codenamed ISINT (Israeli Intelligence Service), detail investigations into diplomats, Zionist activists, businessmen, journalists, and even secretaries. The FBI monitored hotel payments, El Al flights, and credit histories, suspecting information leaks and espionage.
Among those under scrutiny was Chaim Herzog, then a 31-year-old military attaché, who was subjected to a "discreet investigation" upon his arrival in the U.S. in May 1950. The FBI also investigated Gideon Rafael, later Director-General of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, and Eliezer Livneh, a Knesset member. Teddy Kollek, a key figure for David Ben-Gurion, was also monitored, though physical surveillance was deemed unnecessary for his 1951 visit to Los Angeles.
The surveillance extended to ordinary activities, such as the FBI's interest in who paid for Consul Reuven Dafni's hotel room in San Francisco in October 1950 and his flight details. The documents also show checks on the credit histories and company positions of Walter Haas, president of Levi Strauss, and his son Walter Haas Jr. Other individuals investigated included Hollywood producer Harold Nebenzal, journalist Rina Grossman, and scientist Alexander Cohen, who later headed the Biological Research Institute in Ness Ziona.
One peculiar episode involved the FBI receiving over 76 pages of internal documents from the Arab League, allegedly passed by a nephew of the League's head to a Jewish journalist, then to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and finally to the U.S. State Department. However, the ADL later admitted the source was "absolutely unreliable" and likely misleading the organization.
Further investigations included monitoring Israeli diplomatic mail, attempting to develop an informant within El Al, and examining a passenger carrying 10 kg of undeclared gold in Amsterdam. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover also expressed concern in April 1951 about the potential implications of the U.S. moving its embassy to Jerusalem, deeming it "crucial" to the city's international status. The FBI ultimately concluded that some of the monitored material was "irrelevant."
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