Newly Revealed Intelligence Documents on Israeli Operations
Recently declassified documents from a clandestine coalition of Western intelligence agencies have shed light on significant support provided to Israel. This assistance facilitated the tracking and targeting of Palestinians suspected of terrorism in Western Europe during the early 1970s.
Such actions were reportedly conducted without any oversight from Congress or elected officials, potentially leading to public scandals—or perhaps they were illegal altogether.
The Israeli assassination campaign, executed by Mossad, the nation’s primary foreign intelligence agency, began following the tragic deaths of 11 Israeli athletes during the Munich Olympics in September 1972. Israel has been linked to the deaths of at least four Palestinians associated with terrorist activities, with incidents occurring in cities such as Paris, Rome, Athens, and Nicosia, while subsequent operations targeted others in later years.
This mission, earlier dubbed Operation God’s Lass, has even inspired cinematic interpretations, most notably Steven Spielberg’s 2005 film “Munich.”
Evidence uncovered by Dr. Aviva Guttman, a historian specializing in strategy and intelligence at Aberystwyth University, indicates that Western intelligence services were involved in providing critical support for Israeli missions. These insights were found within encrypted communications housed in Swiss archives.
The cables originated from a secret system established in 1971, which allowed for intelligence sharing among 18 Western nations, including Israel, the UK, France, Switzerland, Italy, and West Germany. The information relayed detailed safe houses, crucial movements considered dangerous, and tactics employed by Palestinian armed groups.
“Many of these cables contained very specific details, linking individuals to attacks and offering valuable insights,” Guttman noted. “Initially, many western officials may not have fully grasped the implications of these deaths, but the evidence strongly suggested what Israel was doing.”
Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir urged Mossad to present substantial proof connecting targets to the Munich attack or to a broader wave of assaults by Palestinian groups on Israeli interests at the time. Much of this intelligence was relayed via the aforementioned cables.
The first known assassination linked to Mossad occurred when Wael Zwaiter, a Palestinian working at the Libyan embassy in Rome, was murdered shortly after the Munich incident. Advocates for Zwaiter argue he was misidentified as a terrorist with no genuine ties to extremist actions. However, the cables indicated that Western security services had reported his involvement with the Black September organization, which was responsible for the Munich attack.
The second victim, Mahmoud al-Hamshari, was assassinated in Paris in December 1972, also noted in the intelligence communications. The assassination plot, involving several terrorists, revealed assistance from Swiss authorities.
Another target, Mohamed Boudia, was a veteran of the Algerian War and was implicated in organizing attacks on Israeli establishments. He was tracked down and killed in Paris after information from Swiss intelligence detailed his location.
“Mossad’s assassination endeavors were greatly aided by tactical information from European intelligence agencies,” Guttman reflected. “Without their support, these operations would have been far more challenging.”
In another instance, MI5, the UK’s domestic intelligence agency, provided Mossad with a photograph of Ali Hassan Salameh, a key figure in the Black September organization linked to the Munich attack. However, a case of mistaken identity occurred in 1973 when Mossad operatives mistakenly killed a Moroccan waiter instead of the intended target in Lillehammer, Norway, leading to significant fallout.
Despite such missteps, European intelligence services continued to provide valuable data about potential targets. A former member of an Israeli assassination team remarked on the reliability of the information, despite not knowing its origins.
Amid the backdrop of violent clashes between Palestinian groups and Israel, the revelations from the Kilowatt cables prompt reflection on ongoing conflicts, particularly in light of recent escalations in Gaza, where significant casualties have been reported on both sides.
“The complexities surrounding intelligence sharing between nations make transparency challenging,” Guttman stated, emphasizing that much remains unknown to the public. “Even today, it’s likely there are numerous details concealed from view.”
Mossad is now believed to be responsible for various assassinations of Hamas leaders, a trend that echoes previous operations against terrorist figures across the region.
