Israel reacted angrily Sunday to recent reports that British and U.S. intelligence officials spied on top Israeli officials ' e-mails . `` The tracking after prime ministers and defense ministers is not legitimate and not acceptable to us , '' the spokesman of Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz said , according to a CNN translation . `` There is an intelligence alliance between ( the United States and Israel ) at an unprecedented level , and we are sharing the most sensitive ( intelligence ) material . '' On Friday , The Guardian , The New York Times and Der Spiegel newspapers reported that the communications of more than 1,000 organizations and individuals were monitored from a facility in southwest England . NSA leaks point at high-tech eavesdropping hub in UK . Der Spiegel , a German publication , wrote : `` At least four Israeli targets are named in the lists , including an email address named as the 'Israeli prime minister . ' `` The document , among those provided by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden , is from early 2009 . A spokeswoman for the NSA said Friday the United States collects foreign intelligence just as many other nations do . `` The intelligence community 's efforts to understand economic systems and policies , and monitor anomalous economic activities , are critical to providing policymakers with the information they need to make informed decisions that are in the best interest of our national security , '' Vanee Vines said . None of the newspapers published any of the documents they were shown , and the volume of information collected on any particular individual or organization is unclear . On Friday afternoon , the U.S. State Department 's spokeswoman said Secretary of State John Kerry has been communicating with U.S. allies . `` The secretary has been a part of engaging on this process , whether it 's discussing with foreign countries their concerns , attempting -- working to alleviate those , '' spokeswoman Jen Psaki said . `` Our goal remains to continue to strengthen our intel gathering processes and relationships . But I 'm not going to speak to different reports or allegations . '' President Barack Obama vowed this month to find ways of reforming the NSA , though he also defended the agency 's work . Obama is going through 40 recommendations made last week by the independent presidential Review Group on Intelligence . He will make a `` definitive statement '' on surveillance programs in January after he returns from a Hawaiian vacation . Surveillance program is now Obama 's to own . Israel has said it would never spy on the U.S. in the wake of the conviction of a former U.S. Navy intelligence analyst who was caught spying for Israel in 1985 . Jonathan Pollard was sentenced to life in 1987 after he was convicted of one count of espionage , and since then many Israeli leaders have appealed to U.S. presidents for his release . Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the newest revelations have no bearing on the case . `` We do not need any special event in order to discuss the release of Jonathan Pollard . We are dealing with it . I am dealing with it , with all U.S. presidents , including President Obama , all the time , including now , '' he said Sunday at the weekly Cabinet meeting . `` We hope that the conditions will be created that will enable us to bring Jonathan home . This is neither conditional on , nor related to , recent events , even though we have given our opinion on these developments . '' Pollard has dual citizenship .
NSA says it monitors other countries ' economic activities . Israel says spying on its officials is unacceptable . U.S. has said it is reaching out to its allies . President Obama is reviewing recommendations for changes to surveillance procedures .