Lawrence Wilkerson warns that defense integration and expanded intelligence sharing would authorize Israeli access once obtained through espionage.
Retired Army Col. Lawrence Wilkerson warns that Congress is opening America’s defense and intelligence machinery to Israel—turning access obtained through espionage into an authorized partnership.
“What we do with those two amendments is we legalize the treason that Jonathan Pollard got put into jail for,” Wilkerson said in a Redacted interview.
Wilkerson served as Secretary of State Colin Powell’s chief of staff.
Pollard, a former Navy intelligence analyst, pleaded guilty to conspiring to deliver national defense information to a foreign government and received a life sentence for spying for Israel. He left prison on parole in 2015. In November 2020, Trump’s Justice Department let his travel restrictions expire without renewal. The next month, he flew to Israel aboard Sheldon and Miriam Adelson’s private jet, where Netanyahu welcomed him at the airport.
Section 219 of the House’s 2027 National Defense Authorization Act would create a Pentagon executive agent to accelerate U.S.-Israel defense cooperation. It targets Israeli-origin technology for potential integration into American military systems, alongside joint ventures, production and training.
The cooperation covers artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, missile defense, cyber defense and electronic warfare.
A separate Senate intelligence proposal, Section 622, would require expanded intelligence sharing with Israel. Cutting that sharing would require a specific national-security concern determined by the president and notification to Congress.
“It legalizes intelligence sharing completely, too,” Wilkerson said. “I mean, it’s like Mossad was occupying the CIA, and CIA Mossad, although I’ll give you two guesses as to who’s gonna do the occupying.”
The House passed its bill, but Congress has not enacted these provisions.