A top-secret document given to the Guardian by Edward Snowden revealed that the National Security Agency frequently gives intelligence information to Israeli counterparts without cutting out information about American citizens.
The NSA and corresponding officials in Israel have both signed an agreement that allows the United States government to share raw information in the form of intercepted correspondence, the Guardian reported, Wednesday. The logged communication most likely includes the phone calls and emails of everyday Americans.
Israelis are free to use the data as they wish, for the memorandum doesn't outline any legal limits on the intel - the only stipulations are that the material must be managed in agreement with American law, and Israel cannot target any civilians mentioned.
"This agreement is not intended to create any legally enforceable rights and shall not be construed to be either an international agreement or a legally binding instrument according to international law," the memo reads.
This information stands in stark contrast to the Obama Administration's claims, which adamantely maintain that the U.S. government makes sure to protect the privacy of American citizens, the Guardian reported.
The material is meant to protect United States citizens, according to the five-page document. In it, the constitutional rights of privacy and Israel's responsibility to honor that privacy is stressed.
Yet, Israel is still allowed to work with what is called "raw Sigint," or signal intelligence - the collection of information from radars, weapon and communication systems, according to the CIA's website.
"Raw Sigint includes, but is not limited to, unevaluated and unminimized transcripts, gists, facsimiles, telex, voice and Digital Network Intelligence metadata and content," the document reads.
An NSA spokesperson told the Guardian that, indeed, the U.S. government shared personal information about citizens to Israelis, but made a point to stress that all laws concerning privacy were being followed.
"Any U.S. person information that is acquired as a result of NSA's surveillance activities is handled under procedures that are designed to protect privacy rights," the spokesperson stated.
Israel is one of America's key allies, but is not a member of the surveillance sharing group called "Five Eyes," which consists of Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the U.S.
