'Pretty Woman' producer says he was Israeli spy

[TomCADem]

Source: USA Today

JERUSALEM (AP) — Stories about Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan's alleged double life have been circulating for years.

Now, the Israeli-born businessman behind hits like Pretty Woman, Fight Club and L.A. Confidential has finally come forth with a stunning admission — for years he served as an Israeli spy, buying arms on its behalf and boosting its alleged nuclear program.

In a far-reaching interview aired Monday with Israel's Channel 2 TV's flagship investigative program Uvda, Milchan detailed a series of clandestine affairs in which he was involved and particularly how he helped purchase technologies Israel allegedly needed to operate nuclear bombs.

"I did it for my country and I'm proud of it," said Milchan, who ran a successful fertilizer company in Israel before making it big in Hollywood.


Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/11/25/milchan-hollywood-israeli-spy/3724297/

---

Yet another well reported instance of spying by Israel against the U.S. See? Even the U.S. gets spied on by its "allies."

[delete_bush]

1. L.A.Confidential is one

of my all time faves. I was recently on a trans-Atlantic flight, 1st class, and watched it again after a 5 year hiatus. Stretched out in my pod at 38,000 feet, with generous portions of wine & cheese - I was in my happy place.

[Ash_F]

2. Hard to imagine someone behind those movies would be so pro establishment and status quo.

I guess strong racial nationalism can over-ride your other sensibilities. I need to read more about this guy.

[JackRiddler]

28. Well two out of three ain't bad.

Pretty Woman is a radical film?

Anyway, he's only the producer. It's easy to imagine someone of any politics happy to be behind three commercially successful movies like that.

His name is Robert Paulsen.

[busterbrown]

3. Thank You Uvda for your help..in making our world a more dangerous place to live in..

[kelliekat44]

8. My thoughts exactly. People doing the same thing for Iran, Iraq, or any other country would be

locked up by now.

[whathehell]

4. Then let the POS go back to his country and stop proffitting from ours..

[vlakitti]

5. Nice Hard-Nosed Response. Thanks

[whathehell]

12. You're welcome. n/t

[TomClash]

6. This is news?

Like no one in entertainment helps intelligence services . . .

[Jesus Malverde]

25. Bragging about spying and stealing from Americans is not news...

Jesus

[SleeplessinSoCal]

7. now THIS is suspicious timing. There's an all out assault by NeoCons on the Iran deal

Very troubling if you don't want perpetual war.

[grantcart]

9. First rule of fightclub

don't talk about your secret spying for another country.

[kelliekat44]

10. Doesn't this make him an international terrorist? nt

[leftynyc]

11. Using what definition?

As I understand it, terrorists commit violence or threaten to use violence for political purposes.

[madeline_con]

16. And Israel bombing the crap out of everyone else isn't violence for political purposes. n/t

[leftynyc]

17. EVERYONE ELSE????

My Heavens - do go on and educate me on how punishing Hezbollah and Hamas is bombing EVERYONE ELSE. And gosh - they have no reason to go after those in Hezbollah - everyone knows what peaceful little kittens they are.

[Marrah_G]

20. Neither side are kittens

and both sides use terrorism, violence, threats, murder. It's a vicious, violent cycle that no one is willing to break.

[hack89]

14. Not by any international legal standard

not that such things matter here on DU.

[legin]

13. what is he trying to gain

He and his handlers have obviously thought about outing himself. why?

[madeline_con]

15. " ....he helped purchase technologies Israel allegedly needed to operate nuclear bombs."

They needed more help than we were providing?

[packman]

18. Many years ago as a youngster

I worked at a hardware store back in the early 60's run by an American Jew . I vividly remember him telling his friend that his first loyalty was to his religion, his second to his homeland - Israel-, third to his family and fourth to his business. Keep in mind he was born and raised in America. He stated he owed no allegiance to America or the community that his store was in. Make what you will of this, it left an impression on me.

[Nine]

27. Is that the only American Jew you've ever met? (nt)

[Crunchy Frog]

21. I wonder if this is for real or if he's just indulging in more creative writing.

Maybe he's channeling Walter Mitty.

[nilesobek]

22. He didn't do it for America

I hope they clamp down the cuffs supertight on this jerk.

[Blue_Tires]

23. Wasn't Jack Valenti part of the CIA at one point long ago??

[Jesus Malverde]

24. Sydney Pollack and co...

Aside from setting up arms deals, Milchan also tried to get other Hollywood figures involved in his clandestine work, notably the late director Sydney Pollack, according to a Haaretz report previewing the program.

Pollack was allegedly involved in buying arms and military equipment for Israel during the 1970s and, according to Milchan, knew just what he was getting into.

“Pollack knew, but I didn’t want to scare him because he’s American… He could have said ‘no,” Milchan said. “He said ‘no’ many times, but he also said ‘yes’ many times.”

Milchan, who is part-owner of Israel’s Channel 10 television company, also admitted trying to use an unnamed big star to entice a US nuclear scientist to a private meeting in the actor’s house, although the report didn’t clarify if the rendezvous ever took place.

A number of actors feature in the documentary, including Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, and Robert De Niro, who is a personal friend of Milchan’s.

Two years ago, authors Meir Doron and Joseph Gelman published a book titled “Confidential: The Life of Secret Agent Turned Hollywood Tycoon Arnon Milchan,” in which they asserted that Milchan was acting for Israel’s now defunct Bureau of Scientific Relations, known as Lekem. The clandestine bureau focused on obtaining information for secret defense programs that reputedly included Israel’s rumored nuclear weapons research and development program. The bureau was disbanded in 1987 after US Navy specialist Jonathan Pollard was caught spying for Israel.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/hollywood-producer-arnon-milchan-reveals-mossad-past/

Why is he bragging and outing American quislings?

[Sand Wind]

26. Woaw.!!!!!!!!!..censorship is deepening here ...

Really, I don't agree with him, but the reasons of this censorship is dangerous, and puerile.

“What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.”
― Salman Rushdie