---
aliases:
- Lockheed bribe scandal
- Lockheed bribery scandal
category: Intelligence Scandal
created: 2026-05-17
location: Israel
start: 1976-01-01
summary: 1976 scandal involving bribes paid by Lockheed Aircraft Company to Israeli
  Defense Minister Shimon Peres and other international figures.
tags:
- Event
- Scandal
- Israel
- UnitedStates
title: Lockheed bribe scandal
updated: 2026-05-17
---

The Lockheed bribe scandal refers to a series of bribery incidents involving the [Lockheed Aircraft Company](/organizations/lockheed-aircraft-company/). In [Israel](/places/israel/), a specific instance of this scandal came to light in 1976 through an intercepted telegram.[^1]

[Ari Ben-Menashe](/people/ari-ben-menashe/), while serving as a duty officer in [Unit 8200](/organizations/unit-8200/), intercepted a telegram from the [Iranian](/places/iran/) Embassy in Ramat Gan to [Tehran](/places/tehran/). This telegram detailed a meeting between a Lockheed representative in Israel and [Shimon Peres](/people/shimon-peres/), then Defense Minister, revealing a bribe of $3.5 million deposited into one of Peres's brother's business accounts in Europe.[^1]

Despite the explosive nature of this information, it was covered up by Israeli military intelligence superiors, including [Col. Yoel Ben-Porat](/people/yoel-ben-porat/) and [Lt. Col. Sasson Yishaek](/people/sasson-yishaek/). The original telegram, its translation, and related logs were ordered to be erased, and the young woman working with Ari Ben-Menashe was transferred to another unit. No public disclosure or inquiry was ever made regarding Israel's involvement in the scandal.[^1]

[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992.