IDF warns soldiers against CIA recruitment efforts

Military Intelligence has issued a letter warning all soldiers and officers in the Israel Defense Forces against attempts by the American Central Intelligence Agency to recruit Israeli soldiers.

“Be alert and report any unusual incidents,” the letter urged, according to a report by Channel 2 Sunday.

In the letter, Military Intelligence described a case that took place in 2012 when Israelis who served in sensitive and confidential roles were grilled for hours when they traveled to the United States.

According to a report on the case published in the Hebrew-language daily Yedioth Ahronoth, American interrogators, presumably CIA operatives, tried to convince the Israelis to join the ranks of the spy agency.

A senior defense official told Channel 2 that “any security institution fears the transfer of information one way or the other to another security institution and this is why this was published.”

The military confirmed that the letter was issued but did not say why it has been published now.

Military Intelligence routinely warns soldiers – especially those of the Intelligence Corps – to be careful what they post on social media or discuss on non-encrypted phone lines. It is unusual, though, for a letter to be sent to all soldiers in the entire army, and even more so for a warning to be issued against recruiting attempts by the spy agency of a friendly nation.