Ben-Gurion summoned Harel to his office Bar-Zohar, Ben-Gurion, 537–38. Bar-Zohar, Phoenix, 361 (Hebrew).
replaced by Meir Amit, the chief of AMAN Yossi Melman and Dan Raviv, The Imperfect Spies, 122. Amit, Head On, 102–103 (Hebrew). Amit to Yariv (handwritten), March 28, 1964.
Ben-Gurion squabbled ceaselessly with Golda Meir The clash between Ben-Gurion and Meir over the German scientists was one of several sharp confrontations between Labor Party leaders, most of which can be seen as a steady process of a decline in support for “the Old Man,” as Ben-Gurion was called, and the intergenerational struggle to succeed him. Meir and her allies in the old guard feared Ben-Gurion was going to go over their heads and pass the baton of leadership directly to the younger generation, led by Dayan and Peres. Bar-Zohar, Ben-Gurion, 542–47.
took over a Mossad in disarray Interview with Amit, April 2006. AMAN head and acting Mossad director Amit to Defense Minister, “Preliminary thoughts on reorganization of the intelligence community,” May 20, 1963, MODA 24-64-2012.
As Israeli diplomats reported to the Foreign Ministry Israeli Mission in Cologne to Foreign Ministry, September 20, 1963 (author’s archive, received from “Paul”).
a drastic reduction of the resources being devoted to the hunt for Nazi criminals Among the beneficiaries of that edict was a fifty-three-year-old German doctor named Josef Mengele, Auschwitz’s “Angel of Death.” In mid-1962, in the wake of the successful abduction of Eichmann, Harel ordered Operation Encore to examine the information gathered about “Meltzer,” the code name for Mengele. On July 23, 1962, at the same time as the missile tests in Egypt, Zvi Aharoni and Zvi Malchin identified a person closely resembling the description of Mengele in a farm in Brazil, but Amit ordered that activity on the subject of Vipers (Tzif’onim in Hebrew), the Mossad code name for the hunt for the Nazis, be cut down and in October 1963 instructed Junction to “handle the subject only to the degree that it was able, in addition to its main missions.” Mengele lived for another decade before drowning while swimming in the sea off the Brazilian coast in 1979. Mossad, History Department, Looking for the Needle in the Haystack: Following the Footsteps of Josef Mengele, 2007, 65–78 (author’s archive, received from “Midburn”). Interviews with Zvi Aharoni, July 1998, Amram Aharoni, October 21, 2011, Eitan, November 1, 2012, Medan, June 30, 2015, and Amit, May 2005. Ronen Bergman, “Why Did Israel Let Mengele Go?” New York Times, September 6, 2017.
there was a blast in the post office Interviews with Samir Raafat, September 1995, and Rotberg, March 5, 2012. Samir Raafat, “The Nazi Next Door,” Egyptian Mail, January 28, 1995.
convinced Amit that targeted killings should only be used very sparingly Mossad German Scientists Dossier, 80. Interviews with Amit, April 2006, and Eitan, November 1, 2012.
“the most dangerous man in Europe” UK NA, KV 240386109.
The Mossad file on the countess Mossad German Scientists Dossier, 88.
“She was involved in everything” Interview with Medan, July 10, 2007.
though written in dry professional language Mossad German Scientists Dossier, 136.
“Skorzeny was a giant. A hulk of a man” Ahituv to Eitan and to the Mossad headquarters, September 14, 1964 (shown to the author by “Raphael”).
He pointed to an X inked next to his name Raphi Medan, unpublished manuscript, 113.
“An exchange of views” There was another request: Skorzeny noted that the head of the Jewish community in Frankfurt had asked a German court to ban distribution of the books in Germany, because he was a fugitive from justice. He wanted the Mossad to make public that the books were being used in the training of IDF officers so he could use that as evidence in the trial. Mossad German Scientists Dossier, 92.
Skorzeny’s conditions sparked a sharp argument in the Mossad Interviews with Amit, May 2005, Eitan, November 1, 2012, Medan, June 30, 2015, Avner Barnea (Shin Bet director Ahituv’s bureau chief, who heard much from his boss about the recruitment of Skorzeny), May 30, 2011, and “Milen,” August 2015. Very partial but accurate reporting on the recruitment of Skorzeny appears in the book by Argaman, The Shadow War, 22–38 (Hebrew).
“To my astonishment” Interview with Medan, June 30, 2015.
Skorzeny invited other former Wehrmacht officers Skorzeny remained connected to the Mossad until his death in 1975 (when ex-comrades from the Wehrmacht attended his funeral and gave the Heil Hitler salute) and helped the organization a great deal even after the scientists affair was over. Vallentin also continued serving for many years. In 1969, Harry Barak asked him to agree to be “transferred” from MI6 to the Mossad although he had actually been run only by the Mossad all along. After that he was aware that he was functioning as an Israeli agent. Mossad German Scientists Dossier, 95–96. Interviews with Medan, June 30, 2015, “Toblerone,” January 2014, and “Patriot,” July 2015.
Thanks to the new wealth of information from this operation Mossad German Scientists Dossier, 100.
carried a locked case containing a number of documents Copy of dossier handed to Strauss (author’s archive, received from “Paul”). Mossad German Scientists Dossier, 109.
Peres and Strauss were architects of the restitution agreement Medan, unpublished manuscript, 116. Interviews with Medan, June 30, 2015, and Shimon Peres, August 4, 2015.
CHAPTER 6: A SERIES OF CATASTROPHES
Amit wanted to establish a single operations division in the Mossad Interviews with Shamir, January 1997, and Amit, April 2006.
Operation Diamond The dossier on Operation Diamond was shown to the author by Amit, May 23, 2005. Black and Morris, Israel’s Secret Wars, 206–10.
the Mossad received the right to establish a permanent station Mossad Director Bureau, “The Ben Barka Affair,” memorandum submitted to the inquiry panel on the subject, February 21, 1966 (author’s archive, received from “Alen”). Caroz, The Man with Two Hats, 164–65 (Hebrew).
The height of the cooperation Interviews with Eitan, September 19, 2011, Shlomo Gazit, November 29, 2016, Amit, April 2006, and Navot, April 6, 2017. Meeting protocol between the PM Levi Eshkol and head of the Mossad, Meir Amit, April 2006 (author’s archive, received from “Alen”).
“This sensational material” Mossad Director Bureau, “Ben Barka Affair,” February 21, 1966, 4.
Eli Cohen, who’d penetrated the ruling circles in Damascus Segev, Alone in Damascus, 16–18 (Hebrew).
under pressure from his operators Segev, Alone in Damascus, 262. Interview with Shumel Segev, June 6, 2010.
was a serious and unprofessional error Segev, Alone in Damascus, 13–39.
“Eli Cohen was one of the people who went through life walking sideways” Interview with Kfir, June 9, 2011.
The letter bomb sent to Brunner This account was supplied by Lt. Col. Ahmed Suedani, in charge of internal security in Syria, who was the first to suspect Cohen, in an interview with Al Usbua al Arabi, London, March 1, 1965, translated into Hebrew by AMAN’s Unit 550, MODA 1093/04/638.
Cohen was arrested, brutally tortured Protocol of the trial of Eli Cohen, MODA 1093/04/636.
“I looked at him, at my Eli, on Syrian television” Interview with Gedaliah Khalaf, July 12, 1996.
Amit’s Mossad, so freshly confident, was humiliated The story of Eli Cohen has been told in numerous books and movies, and many streets and public buildings are named after him in Israel. He is considered one of the most prominent models and heroes in the country’s history. The Mossad Academy at Glilot, a building erected with CIA funds, bears his name.
another hard blow for the Mossad Ronen Bergman, “Gone in the Smoke,” Yedioth Ahronoth, September 19, 2003.
regarded the downfall of the two spies as a national disaster Interview with Kfir, June 9, 2011.
Cukurs, it emerged, had burned alive some of Yariv’s relatives and friends Medan, unpublished manuscrip
t, 92. Interviews with Medan, June 30, 2015, and Amos Gilboa, March 18, 2015.
received permission to have Cukurs eliminated Some Mossad veterans from this period, among them Mike Harari, claim that Amit was envious of Isser Harel’s success in catching Eichmann, and that he also wanted to go down in history as having eliminated a Nazi criminal. Interview with Mike Harari, March 29, 2014.
Then the third assassin Sodit-Sharon, a leading Etzel fighter, had a reputation for being especially daring and wild. In 1952 he tried to assassinate the West German chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, by means of a letter bomb he mailed from France—an attempt to torpedo the reparations agreement with Israel. A German security man was killed trying to defuse it. Sodit-Sharon was caught with explosives in France and sentenced to four months, after which he was deported to Israel. Later, he claimed he had made the attempt on Adenauer under orders from Menachem Begin. Back in Israel, on June 16, 1960, he was recruited by Harel to the Mossad’s Mifratz special-ops unit.
“Those Who Will Never Forget” Interview with Gad Shimron, August 16, 2015. An exhaustive description of the operation can be found in Shimron’s book The Execution of the Hangman of Riga.
Inside the Mossad Interviews with Medan, June 30, 2015, Harari, April 11, 2014, and Amit, April 2006.
one of the commanders of the Moroccan intelligence service Mossad Director Bureau, “Ben Barka Affair,” February 21, 1966, 3.
“On the one hand they’ve given us these tapes” Protocol of meeting between Prime Minister Levi Eshkol and General M. Amit, Dan Hotel, Tel Aviv, October 4, 1965, 2 (author’s archive, received from “Alen”).
The opposition leader Mehdi Ben Barka Bergman and Nakdimon, “The Ghosts of Saint-Germain Forest,” Yedioth Ahronoth, March 20, 2015.
“We faced a dilemma” Interview with Amit, May 2005.
they took it upon themselves to handle the corpse Mossad, Aterna File, Junction, Colossus, 325 various cables and memos, September–November 1965 (author’s archive, received from “Alen”).
“I won’t take any steps without telling you” Meeting between Eshkol and Amit, October 4, 1965, 2.
“The Mossad, and through it the state” Isser Harel, intelligence adviser to Prime Minister Levi Eshkol, “Head of the Mossad and the Adviser” (undated, apparently late October 1965) and attached memo in Harel’s handwriting titled “Notes on the report itself” (author’s archive, received from “Alen”).
he informed high-ranking party members of the details Ronen Bergman and Shlomo Nakdimon, “The Ghosts of Saint-Germain Forest,” Yedioth Ahronoth, March 20, 2015. Interview with David Golomb, March 13, 2015.
“I should topple Eshkol, and take his place?” From transcripts of interviews conducted by the journalist Shlomo Nakdimon (author’s archive, courtesy of Shlomo Nakdimon).
When Harel’s vitriolic attacks did not subside Ronen Bergman and Shlomo Nakdimon, “The Ghosts of Saint-Germain Forest,” Yedioth Ahronoth, March 20, 2015.
And, indeed, there was enough material Interviews with “Thunder,” February 2013, and “Ross,” January 2015.
Amit gave Yisraeli’s file to a veteran of the Mossad Interviews with Dar, January 28, 2015, Harel, March 1999, Amit, April 2006, David Vital, December 22, 2010, and “Hurkenus,” June 2012.
“we must never get involved” Interview with Amit, April 2006.
The predominant figure conducting these inquiries was Michael “Mike” Harari Ronen Bergman, “Harari Code,” Yedioth Ahronoth, April 4, 2014.
Harari was born in Tel Aviv in 1927 Interview with Harari, March 23, 2014.
he was sent to Europe Interviews with Harari, March 23, 2014, and Aaron Klein, October 6, 2014.
he submitted his doctrine to the heads of the Mossad Interview with Harari, March 10, 2014. At one of our meetings, Harari showed me the documentation of the founding of the new Caesarea, as presented to the heads of the Mossad, and signed with his code name, Shvat (the name of a month in the Hebrew calendar).
“This phenomenal record” Interview with “Ethan,” May 2015.
The perfect candidate was of European appearance Interview with Kfir, June 9, 2011.
From those pools of potential recruits Interview with Harari, February 12, 2014.
“The desired warrior has to be a Zionist” Interview with Kfir, June 9, 2011.
Harari also initiated one other particularly ambitious recruitment program Interviews with Harari, April 11, 2014, and Aaron Klein, October 6, 2014.
the Mossad actually became an early pioneer in gender equality Vered Ramon Rivlin, “There Is Nothing to Stop a Woman from Becoming the Director of the Mossad,” Lady Globes, September 12, 2012.
“A team made up of members of both sexes” Interview with “Ethan,” January 2015.
Skills are honed in a series of practice missions The natural wariness that is part of the Israeli character makes the country a nearly ideal training ground, without any need to send Mossad cadets overseas until the very end of their course. Long years of Palestinian terrorism have made the average Israeli cautious in the extreme. Often these exercises are carried out “against” former Mossad employees, who agree to be the targets of surveillance, burglaries, or attempts to establish contact with them under false identities.
The cover story, molded over time Interview with “Emerald,” June 2015.
simulating arrest and brutal interrogation Interview with “Kurtz,” October 2005.
Harari introduced iron discipline into Caesarea Interview with “Ethan,” May 2015.
the unit needed a civilian shipping vessel The missions were part of operations Sauce (Rotev in Hebrew) and Porcupine (Dorban), in which Israel provided massive military aid for the royalists of North Yemen, in cooperation with the British MI6 and Saudi Arabian intelligence, against revolutionaries who had seized power with Egyptian assistance. Alpher, Periphery, 67–69. Interviews with Harari, March 23, 2014, Klein, May 28, 2014, Alpher, May 18, 2015, and “Shaul,” July 2011.
“We were not ready for this new menace” Interview with Harari, March 23, 2014.
CHAPTER 7: “ARMED STRUGGLE IS THE ONLY WAY TO LIBERATE PALESTINE”
Refugees were settled into Gaza On the eve of the war, the population of the Gaza Strip was a little over 70,000, and in a census taken in 1967, it was 350,000. Kabha, The Palestinian People: Seeking Sovereignty and State, 157–58. CIA World FactBook, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gz.html; United States Census Bureau, International Programs, International Data Base, https://www.census.gov/population/international/data/idb/region.php?N=%20Results%20&T=13&A=separate&RT=0&Y=1967&R=-1&C=GZ.
Among them was a boy named Khalil al-Wazir Zelkovitz, The Fatah: Islam, Nationality, and the Politics of an Armed Struggle, 25–26 (Hebrew).
“sought out mujahideen” The literal meaning of mujahideen is “people engaged in jihad.” It is used to describe guerrilla fighters or—in Israeli and Western parlance—terrorists. The quote from al-Wazir is taken from Sayigh, Armed Struggle and the Search for State, 81.
Arafat’s place of birth is disputed Cobban, The Palestinian Liberation Organization: People, Power and Politics, 6–7. Yaari, Fatah, 9–17 (Hebrew). Zelkovitz, The Fatah, 25–26 (Hebrew).
decided the Palestinians could end their plight only by engaging in independent operations Sayigh, Armed Struggle, 84, 85n.
Arafat and Abu Jihad relocated to Kuwait Sayigh, Armed Struggle, 85.
expressed in the Palestinian National Convenant On the early founding documents of the Fatah, see Sayigh, Armed Struggle, 88–89.
two Israeli spies filed the first field reports on the organization Mossad, History Department, Ladiyyah: The Mistarev and the Warrior, 1989, 42 (author’s archive, received from “Lindt”). The Shin Bet, The Mistaravim Affair, undated (author’s archive, received from �
�Twins”). Interviews with Harel, April 6, 2001, Sami Moriah, August 12, 2013, Shay Yisrael, October 13, 2016, and Hadar, September 1, 2013. Ronen Bergman, “Double Identity,” Yedioth Ahronoth, August 30, 2013.
Fatah was “something entirely different” Mossad, History Department, Ladiyyah: The Mistarev and the Warrior, 1989, 54.
an attempt to bomb Israel’s National Water Carrier Yaari, Fatah, 40–41 (Hebrew).
“an unyielding campaign to prevent [Israel] from realizing its dream” Interview with Salah Bitar, September 11, 1963, quoted in Segev, Alone in Damascus, 223.
arrested in Gaza a whole week before the launch date Cobban, Palestinian Liberation Organization, 33.
Another group was also arrested in Lebanon Yaari, Fatah, 40–41 (Hebrew).
failed to go off and were discovered by a security patrol Yaari, Fatah, 9 (Hebrew). Cobban, Palestinian Liberation Organization, 33. Sayigh, Armed Struggle, 107–8.
planted microphones in the apartment Mossad, History Department, Uri Yisrael (“Ladiyyah”)—a Unique Operational Figure, 1995 (author’s archive, received from “Lindt”).
“Arafat’s true nature was apparent even back then” Interview with Eitan, January 24, 2013.
Fatah carried out more and more guerrilla attacks Pedahzur, The Israeli Secret Services and the Struggle Against Terrorism, 30.
“Too bad they didn’t listen to me” Interview with Eitan, January 24, 2013.
there were more attacks Cobban, Palestinian Liberation Organization, 33.
“We have three targets” “Meeting Between Eshkol and Amit,” October 8, 1965, 5.
Arafat and Abu Jihad were in Damascus Segev, Alone in Damascus, 29.
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