Israel says it did not spy on the US, after an American Defense Department analyst confessed to passing top secret information to Israeli officials. The analyst, Lawrence Franklin, pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges. He admitted to discussing classified information with an Israeli embassy official and two members of AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobby in Washington. Israel says it's much ado about nothing. “Diplomats, if they deserve their salary, obviously meet with officials, with government ministers,” spokesman Zalman Shoval told Israel Television. “What do you think foreign ambassadors are doing in this country? That’s part of the daily job.” Still, the affair is an embarrassment that Israeli officials hope will quietly fade away.