“A defense of iron,” Eitan Haber, Yedioth Ahronoth, 18.11.12. (h)
“Netanyahu: I agree to a general ceasefire, but if the [rocket] firing does not stop, we’ll invade Gaza,” Barak Ravid, Haaretz, 18.11.12. (h)
“In our field,” Alex Fishman, Yedioth Ahronoth, 21.11.12. (h)
“Rockets fall in two schools in Ashkelon; A senior Jihad commander killed,” Gili Cohen, Yanir Yanga, Haim Levinson, Jacki Hugi, Haaretz, 20.11.12. (h)
“A night meeting of the “Nine”; Obama presses for a ceasefire,” Yedioth Ahronoth, 20.11.12. (h)
“ ‘Red Paint’ from Beer-Sheba to Tel-Aviv,” Yedioth Ahronoth, 16.11.12. (h)
“Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire under Egyptian patronage,” Barak Ravid, Jacki Hugi, Haaretz, 22.11.12. (h)
“The Mediator of the agreement: The head of the Mossad,” Itamar Eichner, Yedioth Ahronoth, 22.11.12. (h)
“The light behind the cloud,” Alex Fishman, Yedioth Ahronoth, 23.11.12. (h)
“Release Order,” Eitan Gluckman, Matty Saiber, Zeev Goldshmidt, Yedioth Ahronoth, 23.11.12. (h)
“The Star War,” Amir Shuan, Amira Lam, Yedioth Ahronoth, the Magazine, 23.11.12. (h)
Protective Edge
“Eitan’s heroism,” Yossi Yehoshua, Yedioth Ahronoth, 4.8.2014. (h)
“From depth I thee called,” Eitan Glikman, Yedioth Ahronoth, 6.8.2014. (h)
““The hero who chased the terrorists,” Yossi Yehoshua, Yedioth Ahronoth, 4.8.2014.
“Hamas tunnel in Gaza,” Yossi Yehoshua, Yedioth Ahronoth, 31.7.2014. (h)
“The bombers,” Ariela Ringel-Hoffman, Yedioth Ahronoth, 1.8.2014. (h)
“Fighting above and under the houses,” Gili Cohen, Haaretz, 31.7.2014. (h)
“Advancing in the pace of the bulldozer,” Amos Harel, Haaretz, 31.7.2014. (h)
“Hamas members coming to sting and disappear,” Odded Shalom, Yedioth Ahronoth, 25.7.2014. (h)
“The light at the end,” Alex Fishman, Yedioth Ahronoth, 12.8.2014. (h)
“Death tunnels,” Semadar Perri, Yedioth Ahronoth, 12.8.2014. (h)
“Exposure to the future: new technologies,” Haaretz, 1.8.2014. (h)
“I would have jumped into the tunnel—Colonel Ofer Winter,” Yossi Yehoshua, Yedioth Ahronoth, 13.8.2014. (h)
“A non-choice war,” Sima Kadmon, Yedioth Ahronoth, 15.8.2014. (h)
“An operation getting confused,” Alex Fishman, Yedioth Ahronoth, 15.8.2014. (h)
“Bank of targets and reality?” Asaf Hazani, Haaretz, 15.8.2014. (h)
“Sorry we have told you to return home,” Yedioth Ahronoth, 14.8.2014. (h)
“IDF has lost its creativity,” Michael Bar-Zohar, Ynet, opinions, 11.8.2014.
“ISIS (Dai`sh) in Gaza,” Michael Bar-Zohar, Ynet, opinions, 24.8.2014. (h)
Interview of Amir Peretz.
26: From the Heart of Africa to Jerusalem: Operation Moses 1984 and Operation Solomon 1991
Adega Abraham, “The voyage to the dream,” self-edition, Tel-Aviv, 2000. (h)
Shimron Gad, “Bring me the Jews of Ethiopia,” Maariv publishers, Hed-Arzi, Or-Yehuda, 1988. (h)
Shimron Gad, “The Mossad and the Myth; the best smugglers in the world,” Keter, Jerusalem, pp. 207–233. (h)
Toren Yaron (editor) “Operation Solomon: Beita Israel coming back home,” The Jewish agency—Department of Immigration and Absorption, Jerusalem, 1994, pp. 28–35. (h)
“The price: 4000 dead,” Ronen Bergman, Yedioth Ahronoth, 3.7.1998. (h)
“The one responsible for Operation Solomon: All the Falashmura should be brought to Israel,” Bareket Feldman, Haaretz, 28.5.2006. (h)
“The Shayetet and the Mossad in a rare documentation, in Operation Moses,” (Hadashot), channel 2, Israeli TV. (h)
“Military Operations behind enemy lines, Shaldag unit,” Michal Danieli, PAZAM, Internet site, 1.7.2011. (h)
“Third place: Shaldag,” Yoav Limor and Allon Ben David, Ynet, 14.2.2008. (h)
“Operation Solomon,” IAF Internet site. (h)
“Flotilla 13 landed in Sudan,” Arie Kiezel, Yedioth Ahronoth, 18.3.1994. (h)
“There was no one who was not moved, even me,” Ravid Oren, Yedioth Ahronoth, 20.5.2011. (h)
“The IDF rescued the Ethiopian Jewry,” Hadashot, 26.5.1991. (h)
“Shai said no,” Orit Galili, Haaretz, 3.6.1991. (h)
“Exodus from Ethiopia,” Tudor Perfitte, Yedioth Ahronoth, 1.11.1985. (h)
“Following him in the desert,” Smadar Shir, Yedioth Ahronoth, 17.7.2009. (h)
Interview of Benyamin (Beni) Ganz.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The story of the perilous missions described in our book is based on a multitude of sources: books and articles; archival documents, some of which had never been published before; Internet sites; interviews with a great number of past and present IDF officers, soldiers and statesmen. We thank the IDF Archives, the authors of the books and articles presented in our bibliography and the fighters themselves—some of them still in uniform, many of them retired or holding major civilian positions. The IDF spokesman, General Yoav (“Poli”) Mordechai, together with his devoted staff, gave us very useful assistance from the moment this project was born.
We are also very grateful for the help of Ms. Nily Falic, chairperson of the FIDF—“Friends of the IDF”—association; General (res.) Gershon (“Jerry”) Yitzhak, former director of the FIDF in New York, and his successor, General (res.) Meir Khalifi; the Hecht Foundation; and General (res.) Avigdor Kahalani, the ultimate Israeli hero, today chairman of the Association for the Israeli Soldiers’ Welfare.
Our project was encouraged and supported by our excellent agent, Al Zuckerman, “Mr. Writers’ House”; his foreign rights magician, Ms. Maja Nikolic; and our publishers, Dov Eichenwald of Yedioth Aharonoth Books for the Israeli version, and Dan Halpern at Ecco/HarperCollins. The English manuscript, translated together with Nathan K. Burstein, took its final shape after additional research and rewriting; once again, the contribution of our home editor, Nilly Ovnat, was invaluable. In New York we got the devoted and efficient assistance of our editor, the excellent Gabriella Doob; and Katherine Beitner was incomparable in spreading the good word. Special thanks to Ecco’s associate publisher, Craig Young, for his wise counsels and ideas.
And finally, thanks again to our superb ladies, Galila Bar-Zohar and Amy Korman, who stood by us while this second book—after Mossad—was researched, written and saw the light of day.
INDEX
The pagination of this electronic edition does not match the edition from which it was created. To locate a specific passage, please use your e-book reader’s search tools.
Abu Aisha, Amar, 304
Abu Jihad (aka Khalil al-Wazir): assassination of, 258-64, 265
Abu Khdeir, Mohammed, 299
Abu Rahma, Fayez, 261
Abu-Sneina, Ali Taha, 141
Abuelaish, Izzeldin, 291, 324
Achmon, Arik, 186
Adam, Yekutiel “Kuti,” 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 24, 174
Adan, Avraham “Bren,” 180, 181, 188, 198
Adwan, Kamal, 165, 170
Ahdut HaAvoda party, 91
Air Force, U.S., 313-14
Air France Flight 139, hijacking of, 1-5. See also Entebbe
Akawi, Omar, 274
Akers (Norwegian firm), 116
Al-Ahram newspaper (Cairo), 86
Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, 284
Al Ra’i newspaper (Jordan): Crate Operation story in, 160
al-Wazir, Hanan, 259, 262, 263, 264
al-Wazir, Intisar. See Umm Jihad
al-Wazir, Khalil. See Abu Jihad
al-Wazir, Nadal, 259, 263
Alaluf (IDF soldier), 220-21
Aliya Bet, 52
Allem, Uataf (pseud.), 261
Allenby Camp: and War of Independence, 35
Allon, Yigal, 91
Almog, Ze’ev, 104, 106, 107, 109
Alon, Emmanuel, 310
Altnuder,
Dieter, 168
Aman (IDF Intelligence Department), 233
Ambar, Ido, 25
Amer, Abdel Hakim, 53
Amer, Marshal, 58
American Armor Museum (Fort Knox, Kentucky), 205
Amin, Idi, 5, 6, 9, 10, 14, 15, 17, 21, 23
Amiot, Felix, 114, 117, 119
Ammunition Hill (Jerusalem), 92, 94-96
Ammunition Hill, Operation, 226, 228-32
Ankelevitz, Maurice, 67
Arab Legion. See Jordanian Legion
Arad, Yigal, 95
Arafat City: Cast Lead Operation and, 287
Arafat, Yasser
Abu Jihad and, 258
and assassination of Black September leaders, 175
Defensive Shield Operation and, 279, 284, 285
as Fatah leader, 240, 258
Mukataa as headquarters for, 278
Peace for Galilee Operation and, 240
as PLO leader, 139, 141, 164, 241
Umm Jihad in government of, 264
U.S. and, 274, 275
and weapons supplies for terrorist organizations, 269, 274, 275, 276
See also Palestinian Authority
Arditi, Danny, 150
Argov, Shlomo, 241
Arieli (Israeli aircraft mechanic), 144
Arins, Jean-Pierre, 140
Arizona, Operation, 224, 232-35
Armored Corps (IDF), 84
Army, U.S., 31
Asgari, Ali Reza, 232-33
Ashkenazi, Gavriel “Gabi,” 242, 245-46, 303-4, 323
Ashkenazi, Giora, 93-94, 98
Ashkenazi, Marko, 152, 153
Assad, Hafez al-, 178, 236
Atar, Raed al-, 294
Atomic Energy Commission, Israeli, 46, 319
Atrash, Abd Aziz el, 140-41, 146, 147, 150
Atzmon, Ben-Zion, 198
Augusta Victoria compound: Six Day War and, 96, 98
Avinun, Dani, 109
Avishai (Flotilla 13 frogman), 172
Ayalon, Amichai “Ami,” 103, 107-8, 110-11, 321
Azout (IDF soldier), 221
Baader-Meinhof terrorist gang, 4, 8
Balata refugee camp, 281
Bamba (IDF reconnaissance unit), 200
Bar, Dov, 106-7, 108
Bar-Lev, “Borka”: Entebbe and, 9, 10, 21
Bar-Lev, Haim “Kidoni”
“Chinese Farm” and, 198, 200-201
Green Island raid and, 105-6
and hijacking of Sebana Airlines plane, 142
named chief of staff, 102
professional career of, 321
Ras Gharib raid and, 125, 129
War of Attrition and, 105-6, 125, 129
Yom Kippur War, 191, 198, 200-201
Bar-Lev, Omer, 20
Bar-Zohar, Michael, 181, 185
Barak Brigade. See 188th Brigade (IDF)
Barak, Ehud
and Abu Jihad assassination, 259, 260, 261
and assassination of Black September leaders, 164, 165, 166, 168, 169-70, 171, 174-75
“Chinese Farm” and, 200
as commander of Sayeret Matkal, 144
Crate Operations and, 156, 157, 158
decorations for, 174
Entebbe and, 8, 20
and hijacking of Sabena Airlines plane, 148, 150, 153
personal and professional background of, 144, 322
Pillar of Defense Operation and, 295
and prisoner exchanges, 156, 157, 158
Spring of Youth Operation and, 164, 165, 166, 168, 169-70, 171, 174-75
Yom Kippur War and, 200
Barghouti, Marwan, 279
Barkai, Zvika, 239, 241, 242-43
Barkat, Yeshayahu, 124
Baruchin, Avinoam, 211
Bat Galim (Israeli rescue ship), 311, 312
Baum, Shlomo, 41
“Bay of Pigs” plan, Israeli, 6-7
BBC
and “Boats of Cherbourg,” 119
Six Day War and, 97
Beaufort, battle for, 239-46
Be’eri (kibbutz), 39
Begin Doctrine, 231, 232
Begin, Menachem
Entebbe and, 10, 22, 24
and Government of National Unity, 76
and Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor, 226, 228
and Lebanon, 238, 240, 241, 245
and Likud party, 224
as minister without portfolio, 76
Opera Operation and, 224
Peace for Galilee Operation and, 238, 240, 241, 245
and rescue of Jews from Ethiopia, 310
Sinai Campaign and, 66
Six Day War and, 91, 97
Beirut, Lebanon
assassination of Black September leaders in, 162, 163-75
bombing of airport at, 114
Ben-Ari, Uri, 96
Ben Eliezer, Benyamin, 277
Ben Eliyahu, Eitan, 132
Ben-Gal, Yanosh, 8, 9, 204, 205, 209, 210, 211, 212
Ben-Gurion, David
Black Arrow Operation and, 37, 45
and Britain, 64
Eshkol and, 76
and Har-Zion arrest, 42
named defense minister, 37
proclaims Israeli independence, 28
and Rafi party, 76
resignations of, 37, 76
retaliation/reprisal strategy of, 37, 46
Sevres summit and, 63-66
Sharett and, 37
Sharon and, 42, 67, 180
Sinai Campaign and, 50, 61, 62, 63-66, 72
Six Day War and, 79
War of Independence and, 14, 29-30, 31, 32
Ben-Hanan, Yossi, 212
Ben-Menahem, Yitzhak “Gulliver,” 41
Ben-Natan, Arthur, 12
Ben-Nun, Avihu, 86-87, 136, 313, 321
Ben-Shoham, Yitzhak, 204
Ben Yair, Eliyahu, 265
Ben Yair, Frieda, 265
Ben Yair, Ilan, 265
Ben Yair, Miriam, 258, 264-65
Ben Yair, Rachel, 264-65
Bentzur (Israeli soldier), 98
Beth Zurif: raid on, 43
Bethlehem: and Defensive Shield Operation, 283-84
Betzer, Moshi “Muki,” 4, 17-18, 26, 159, 164, 169, 170, 171, 322
Bilby, Kenneth, 33
Bin-Nun, Avihu, 136
Black Arrow/Gaza Operation, 38-39, 42, 43-47
Black March (2002), 278-79
Black September (terrorist group)
assassination of leaders of, 162, 163-75
hijacking of Sabena Airlines plane by, 140-53, 164
and Munich Olympics massacre, 164
as strike force for PLO, 139
Bloc Etzion settlements: and War of Independence, 35, 182
Bloch, Dora, 20
Blutstein (IDF soldier), 221
“Boats of Cherbourg,” 113-21, 322
Bohbot, Amir, 288
Boneh, Solel, 32
Böse, Wilfried, 4
Botzer, Avraham “Cheetah,” 116
Bou Said, Sidi, 259
Bouillon, Godfrey de, 41
BourgΠs-Maunoury, Maurice, 63
Boussard, Charles, 168
Bravehearts, Operation, 179-90, 193
Britain. See Great Britain
British Army, 28, 182
Britton, Sara. See Tannous, Rima
Brosh, Elyashiv “Shibi,” 51, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58
Brothers, Operation, 311
Brunner, Danny, 150
Brzezinski, Zbigniew, 15-16
Buhris, Ilan, 311
Buhris, Ofek, 282
Bull, Odd, 89, 90
Burma Road, Israeli, 33-34, 35, 36
Bush, George H.W., 313, 314
Bush, George W., 233, 234, 275, 276
Camp David Accords, 189
Carlos (terrorist), 3, 4
Carter, Jimmy, 7-8, 15
Cast a Giant Shadow (film), 35
Cast Lead, Operation, 287-93, 294, 295, 324
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), 233
/> Chaban-Delmas, Jacques, 120
Challe, Maurice, 64
Cheney, Dick, 231
Cherbourg, Boats of, 113-21, 322
“Chinese Farm”: Yom Kippur War and, 186, 191, 192-201
Church of the Nativity (Bethlehem), 283
Coastal Road massacre, 258
Cohen, Eliezer “Cheetah,” 125-26
Cohen, Victor, 143, 144
Cohen, Yoram, 294
Cohen Family:, flag of, 92, 99
Columbia (space shuttle), 230
Crate 1, Operation, 156
Crate 2, Operation, 156-57
Crate 3, Operation, 155, 158-61
Czechoslovakia: Egypt’s arms deal with, 50, 62
Dabash, Hezi, 199
Dagan, Meir, 233, 323
Dagan, Nehemiah, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129-30, 322
Dahab, Zvi, 68
Dahari (IDF soldier), 221
Daily Express (London): Ras Gharib raid story in, 128
Daoud, Abdallah, 283
Daughters of Jacob Bridge, 204
Daughters for Life, 324
David (Israeli language specialist), 132, 133
Davidi, Aharon
Black Arrow Operation and, 38-39, 43, 44, 45, 46
Gur and, 91
professional career of, 320
Sinai Campaign and, 66, 68, 69, 70
David’s Sling (Peres), 7-8
Dayan, Moshe
appointed defense minister, 76, 78, 102
appointed IDF chief of staff, 42
and assassination of Black September leaders, 166, 174
Bar-Lev and, 102
Black Arrow Operation and, 45
“Boats of Cherbourg” and, 116
“Chinese Farm” and, 196
Crate Operations and, 155
and downing of Ilyushin ll-14 plane, 58
Entebbe and, 5, 24
and failed operations of IDF, 39-40
Golan Heights and, 203
Gur and, 91
and hijacking of Sabena Airlines plane, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 152
Jerusalem and, 88, 91-92, 96, 97
and Marcus’s death, 34
Peres and, 5, 24, 37
personality and character of, 65
professional career of, 64-65, 319
and Rafi party, 76
Ras Gharib raid and, 128
as revolutionizing the IDF, 41
Sevres summit and, 63-66
Sharett and, 37
Sharon and, 40, 67, 181
Sinai Campaign and, 60, 61, 63-66, 72
Six Day War and, 78, 88, 91-92, 96, 97
and Soviet pilots with Egyptian Air Force, 134
Spring of Youth Operation and, 166, 174
Unit 101 and, 41
War of Attrition and, 128, 134
Yom Kippur War and, 180, 181, 196, 203
Dayan, Uzi
No Mission Is Impossible Page 32