The Mossad is considered one of the best foreign secret services in the world. For decades, its mission has been to thwart attacks against the state of Israel - as early as possible and outside the country's borders, writes ARD. But the Mossad regularly carried out another mission, namely to return terror with counter-terror, as former Mossad agent Gad Shimron says in an interview with the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung. (NCC).
Such is the case with the targeted killing of the perpetrators of the attack on the Israeli team at the Munich Olympics in 1972, recalls Ahron Klein, author of a book on the Mossad: “Three weeks after Munich, the first person responsible was liquidated in Rome. Dozens more were subsequently killed. The goal was to prevent further attacks on Israel. "People who intended to hijack planes or kill Israelis were eliminated," says Klein. This mission also reinforces the myth of the Israeli secret service.
Just guesses, nothing proven
Following the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he had ordered the Mossad to take action against Hamas leaders – no matter who they are or where they are.
It has not been proven whether the targeted assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniya in the center of the Iranian capital Tehran was the work of the Mossad. It is also not certain that the Israeli secret service was behind the bombing of thousands of Hezbollah communication devices in Lebanon and Syria, which killed and injured many people. However, both are considered probable.
The Mossad Myth
The Foreign Intelligence Service was established in 1949, shortly after the founding of the State of Israel. She became a myth at the latest in 1960, when her agents kidnapped Adolf Eichmann in Argentina. The former SS man was put on trial in Jerusalem as one of the organizers of the Holocaust, where Eichmann was sentenced to death and executed in 1962.
Former Mossad chief Meir Dagan described the service as follows: “It is a unique and exceptional community of men and women who act with originality and courage, driven by a spirit of dedication. They work around the clock without expecting any tribute.“
At the same time, Mossad employees do not enjoy group protection, nor do they have aircraft or armed units to support them. In most cases, they cannot even rely on special operations to save them when they find themselves in a difficult situation. “They act with a sharp mind and with courage, which are their only protection,”, Dagan also told ARD.
Sabotages and failures
As a rule, Israel's secret services do not take prisoners. Hundreds of targeted killings are believed to be the work of the Mossad. In addition, the service has also been credited with a number of acts of sabotage, such as the one against Iran's nuclear program. In 2010, the Stuxnet virus was allegedly programmed and used by the Mossad to destroy uranium enrichment centrifuges.
But far from all actions of Israel's foreign intelligence are successful. In 1997, Mossad agents tried to poison Khaled Mashal, the political leader of Hamas, but were caught. To free them, Israel had to not only provide an antidote, but also release from prison the spiritual leader of Hamas, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. Mashal then remained at the head of the terrorist organization for another 20 years.
Recently, Khaled Mashal, now in exile, called for a new wave of suicide bombings in Israel. And it is far from certain that the alleged Mossad operation against Hezbollah will bring more security to Israel, even if it is impressive, ARD also points out.
Author: Jan-Christoph Kitzler ARD