History of violence

From time to time I ask myself what would happen if the world’s governments decided to abolish all their spy agencies simultaneously.

True, it would be a great blow to the authors and film producers who make their living from secret service stories.

But what would be the real damage if Washington stopped spying on Moscow and Moscow stopped spying on Washington, and both on Beijing? The result would be a draw. Immense sums of money would be saved, since a large part of the efforts of every spy agency is devoted to obstructing the intrigues of the competition. How many diseases could be overcome?

How many hungry people fed, how many illiterates taught to read and write?

The popular books and movies celebrate the imaginary successes of the intelligence agencies. Reality is much more prosaic and it is replete with real failures.

Western spy agencies were totally surprised by the Khomeini revolution in Iran, the results of which are still hitting the headlines today. They were totally surprised by the fall of the Berlin Wall. And they provided wrong information about Saddam Hussein’s imaginary nuclear bomb, which served as a pretext for the US invasion of Iraq.

Ah, Israel says, that’s what’s happening elsewhere. Not here. Our intelligence community is like no other. The Jewish brain has invented Mossad, which knows everything and is capable of everything.

Really? At the outbreak of the 1948 war, the chiefs of Israel’s intelligence community advised David Ben Gurion unanimously that the armies of the Arab states would not intervene.

In May 1967, the entire Israeli intelligence community was totally surprised by the concentration of the Egyptian army in Sinai which led to the Six Day war.

The Egyptian-Syrian attack on Yom Kippur in 1973 also completely surprised Israel’s intelligence services despite plenty of advance warning.

Israel’s intelligence agencies were totally surprised by the first intifada and again by the second. They were totally surprised by the Khomeini revolution even though — or because — they were deeply imbedded in the shah’s regime. They were totally surprised by the Hamas victory in the Palestinian elections.

The list is long and inglorious. But in one field, so they say, Mossad performs like no other — assassinations. Sorry, “eliminations.”

Steven Spielberg’s film Munich describes the assassination of PLO officials following the massacre of athletes at the 1972 Olympic Games. As a masterpiece of kitsch it can be compared only to the movie Exodus, based on Leon Uris’s kitschy book.

After the Olympic massacre — the main responsibility for which falls on the incompetent and irresponsible Bavarian police — Mossad killed seven PLO officials on the orders of Golda Meir, much to the joy of the revenge-thirsty Israeli public.

Almost all the victims were PLO diplomats, civilian representatives of the organisation in European capitals who had no direct connection with violent operations. Their activities were public, they worked in ordinary offices and lived with their families in residential buildings. They were static targets, like ducks in a shooting gallery.

In one of the operations a Moroccan waiter was assassinated by mistake in the Norwegian town of Lillehammer. Mossad had mistaken him for Ali Hassan Salameh, a senior Fatah officer who served as contact with the CIA.

The Mossad agents, including a glamorous blonde — there is always a glamorous blonde — were identified, arrested and sentenced to long prison terms, although they were released soon after. The real Salameh was “eliminated” later.

In 1988, five years before the Oslo agreement, Fatah number two Khalil al-Wazir was assassinated in Tunis in front of his wife and children. Had he not been killed, he would probably be serving today as the president of the Palestinian Authority instead of Mahmoud Abbas. He would have enjoyed the same kind of standing among his people as did Yasser Arafat, who was most likely killed by a poison that left no trace.

The fiasco that most resembles the Dubai operation was Mossad’s 1997 attempt on the life of senior Hamas leader Khalid Mishal on the orders of prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Mossad agents ambushed him on a main street in Amman, Jordan, and sprayed a nerve toxin in his ear that would kill him without leaving traces.

They were caught red-handed. King Hussein, the Israeli government’s main ally in the Arab world, was livid and delivered a furious ultimatum — either Israel would immediately provide the antidote to the poison and save Mishal’s life or the Mossad agents would be hanged. As usual Netanyahu caved in. Mishal was saved and as a bonus the Israeli government released Hamas leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin from prison. Yassin was “eliminated” by a Hellfire missile in 2004.

More recently, the assassination in Dubai of senior Hamas officer Mahmoud al-Mabhouh has provoked a storm of words.

Israelis agreed from the first moment that Mossad was responsible. What capabilities! What talent! How had they known when the man would go to Dubai, what flight he would take, in what hotel he would stay? What precise planning!

The “military correspondents” and “Arab affairs correspondents” who appeared on screen were radiant. Their faces said: “Oh, oh, oh, if the material were not embargoed…If I could only tell you what I know…I can tell you only that Mossad has proved again that its long arm can reach anywhere! Live in fear, oh enemies of Israel!”

When the problems started to become apparent and the photos of the assassins appeared on TV all over the world the enthusiasm cooled — but only slightly. An old and proven Israeli tactic was brought into play. Take some marginal detail and discuss it passionately, ignoring the main issue. Concentrate on one particular tree and divert attention from the forest.

Why did the agents use the names of actual people who live in Israel and have dual nationality? Why, of all possible passports, did they use those of friendly countries? How could they be sure that the owners of these passports would not travel abroad at the critical time?

Moreover, were they not aware that Dubai was full of cameras that record every movement? Did they not foresee that the local police would produce films of the assassination in almost all its details?

But this did not arouse too much excitement in Israel. Everybody understood that Britain and Ireland were obliged to protest, but that this was simply about going through the motions. Behind the scenes there are intimate connections between Mossad and other intelligence agencies. After some weeks everything will be forgotten. That’s how it worked in Norway after Lillehammer, that’s how it worked in Jordan after the Mishal affair. They will protest, rebuke and that’s that. So what’s the problem?

The problem is that Mossad in Israel acts like an independent fiefdom which ignores the vital long-term political and strategic interests of Israel, enjoying the automatic backing of an irresponsible prime minister.

From the strategic point of view the Dubai operation is heavily damaging to the government’s policy, which defines Iran’s supposed nuclear bomb programme as an existential threat to Israel. The campaign against Iran helps the Israeli government to divert the world’s attention from its ongoing occupation and settlement of Palestine and induces the US, Europe and other countries to dance to its tune.

Barack Obama is in the process of trying to set up a worldwide coalition for imposing “debilitating sanctions” on Iran. The Israeli government serves him willingly as a growling dog. He tells the Iranians: “The Israelis are crazy. They may attack you at any moment. I am restraining them with great difficulty. But if you don’t do what I tell you, I shall let go of the leash.”

Dubai, a Gulf country facing Iran, is an important part of this coalition. It is an ally of Israel, much like Egypt and Jordan. And along comes the Israeli government and embarrasses it, humiliates it, arousing among the Arab masses the suspicion that Dubai is collaborating with Mossad.

In the past Israel has embarrassed Norway, then it infuriated Jordan, now it humiliates Dubai. Is that wise? Ask Meir Dagan, who Netanyahu has just granted an almost unprecedented eighth year in office as chief of Mossad.

Perhaps the impact of the operation on Israel’s standing in the world is even more significant.

Once upon a time it was possible to belittle this aspect. Let global opinion say what it wants. But since the Molten Lead operation Israel has become more conscious of its far-reaching implications.

The verdict of Judge Goldstone, the echoes of the antics of Avigdor Lieberman, the growing worldwide campaign for boycotting Israel — all these tend to suggest that Thomas Jefferson was not talking through his hat when he said that no nation can afford to ignore the opinion of mankind.

The Dubai affair is reinforcing the image of Israel as a bully state, a rogue nation that treats world public opinion with contempt, a country that conducts gang warfare, that sends mafia-like death squads abroad, a pariah nation to be avoided by right-minded people.

Was it worth it?

Uri Avnery is an Israeli journalist, peace activist and former Knesset member. He is one of the founders of Gush Shalom, a broad-based Israeli peace group.