Israeli media: Mossad bungled operation in European country

JERUSALEM, Feb. 25 (JTA) — Two Mossad agents were arrested in Geneva last week for attempting to spy on an embassy there, Swiss media have reported. Swiss diplomatic sources confirmed that the arrests took place, but there were conflicting reports as to whether the agents were attempting to spy on the Iraqi or the Iranian Embassy in Geneva. Israeli media reported Wednesday that the failure of a Mossad operation last week in Western Europe led in part to the resignation of the head of the foreign intelligence agency, Danny Yatom. But because of restrictions imposed on reporting the story, Israel Television said only that the incident occurred in a Western European country that has “one of the most friendly” relations with Israel. Details of the incident were barred from publication because “a person’s life depends on it,” Israel Television reported, adding that the foul-up had threatened Israel’s relations with the country in which it took place. Israeli officials are reportedly negotiating with Swiss officials for the releases of the two agents. The report said that a Knesset subcommittee on the security services had been briefed on the incident — but only after the committee chair, Uzi Landau, first heard of it from another source, and then approached Yatom to verify if it was true. The report expanded upon a story appearing Wednesday in the Israeli daily Yediot Achronot that a recent failure by the Mossad was possibly linked to Yatom’s decision to resign Tuesday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to comment about the Israeli news reports. Yatom resigned after a government inquiry held him responsible for the failed assassination attempt last September on a Hamas leader in Jordan. Yatom agreed, at Netanyahu’s request, to stay on until a new director is appointed. Though Netanyahu had approved the plan to assassinate Khaled Mashaal, the government-appointed commission probing the affair last week cleared him of any blame. The commission, headed by a former Defense Ministry director general, Yosef Chekhanover, reserved its criticism for Yatom, saying he bore “a heavy responsibility” for the flawed mission. The failed Mossad operation seriously strained relations between Israel and Jordan, which reportedly refused to reinstate security cooperation with the agency unless Yatom left. Pressure for him to step down reportedly also came from within the agency. In his letter of resignation, Yatom said he categorically disagreed with the conclusions of the Chekhanover Commission, but “as someone who bears overall responsibility for Mossad activities, I have no intention of ignoring the report, and therefore I decided to submit my resignation.” Yatom had been appointed Mossad chief in May 1996 by former Prime Minister Shimon Peres. Yatom had served as military adviser to former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Prior to that, he had served in a number of senior positions within the Israel Defense Force. Jordan’s foreign minister, Jawad Anani, told Israel Radio’s Arabic service that while Yatom’s resignation was purely an internal Israeli matter, Jordan viewed it as a “step in the right direction.” Observers said Yatom’s departure would bring a serious reorganization within the agency, which has sustained serious blows to its prestige and functioning in light of the Mashaal affair. Possible successors being named include officials with strong intelligence backgrounds. These included former Mossad head Shabtai Shavit; a former deputy head, Ephraim Halevy, who is currently Israel’s representative to the European Union; and Uri Saguy, a former head of the IDF intelligence branch. Israeli media noted that Halevy, who helped lay the groundwork for the 1994 Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty, had good relations with Jordan and could help rebuild those ties. The Prime Minister’s Office would not comment on any of the suggested names.