30 june 2015
Shurat HaDin, an organisation with links to Israel's government and security services, is holding a seminar this week in Jerusalem "to train lawyers from abroad to litigate BDS." The gathering follows a period of intensified attacks by Israeli officials on the Palestinian-led boycott movement, including reports of imminent Justice Ministry-initiated lawsuits.
According to media reports, some 70 lawyers from around the world, including the US, Singapore, the Netherlands, South Africa, Germany, Canada and Belgium, will attend. The goal - to "equip" them with "the tactical tools and broader courtroom strategies they need" to fight BDS.
The schedule of workshops and lectures covers topics such as "Learn to Combat BDS and other Anti-Semitic Movements" and "Prepare to Defend Israeli Soldiers Against War Crimes Complaints". Speakers include Alan Dershowitz and former Canadian Justice Minister Irwin Cotler.
Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, president of Shurat HaDin, believes that attendees will go on to implement "proven strategies" in Israel and worldwide. "The anti-Israel BDS and delegitimization movement has been ramping up its efforts at the campus and corporate-organizational levels," said Darshan-Leitner, and "we must expand the fight dramatically."
Shurat HaDin uses courts around the world "to go on the legal offensive" against those it perceives to be "Israel's enemies." In its own words, "as an NGO operating in the private sector", the organisation "is positioned to undertake actions that the Israeli government is unable to formally engage in."
The group is often presented as a "civil rights organisation" working "to stop the flow of terror money" - as Newsweek put it, "attacking the terrorists in their pocketbooks". In fact, as revealed by Wikileaks, Darshan-Leitner "privately admitted to taking direction from the Israeli government over which cases to pursue and relying on Israeli intelligence contacts for witnesses and evidence."
In other words, as an Israeli journalist wrote in 2013, Shurat HaDin "files lawsuits at the behest of the Israeli government", yet still "dares to define itself as a 'human rights organisation'."
One of Shurat HaDin's most infamous attempts to undermine the BDS campaign was their 'anti-discrimination' case brought against the pro-boycott Australian academic Jake Lynch, which ended in failure in July 2014.
Even before the courts dismissed the case, Israel advocates had warned that litigation was "inappropriate and likely to be counter-productive." Shurat HaDin's track record also includes an unsuccessful lawsuit against Jimmy Carter, and threats to global charity Oxfam.
Shurat HaDin's focus on counter-BDS lawfare comes as Israel's Ministry of Justice is "preparing to file lawsuits against [boycott] activists", with a "plan of action" being put together that will reportedly form part of "a wider plan to combat the 'delegitimisation' of Israel."
On Sunday, meanwhile, a major Israeli think tank presented its recommendations to PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet on how best to fight BDS, including "the denunciation of American college faculty who demonise Israel."
The report urged the Israeli government to "promptly adopt an appropriately budgeted comprehensive strategy, and task a senior government official, who reports directly to the prime minister, with coordinating its operational implementation."
Here in Britain, UK Lawyers for Israel is currently recruiting [PDF] a "full-time Director of Operations" on £40,000-50,000. In the job advert, the organisation describes itself as "increasingly recognised for its valuable efforts in combating BDS and other attempts to undermine Israel."
As the Israeli government and international lobby groups escalate their efforts to undermine Palestine solidarity and the BDS campaign, an increase in 'lawfare' tactics is almost certain. Whether this will prove effective, however, is much less clear.
According to media reports, some 70 lawyers from around the world, including the US, Singapore, the Netherlands, South Africa, Germany, Canada and Belgium, will attend. The goal - to "equip" them with "the tactical tools and broader courtroom strategies they need" to fight BDS.
The schedule of workshops and lectures covers topics such as "Learn to Combat BDS and other Anti-Semitic Movements" and "Prepare to Defend Israeli Soldiers Against War Crimes Complaints". Speakers include Alan Dershowitz and former Canadian Justice Minister Irwin Cotler.
Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, president of Shurat HaDin, believes that attendees will go on to implement "proven strategies" in Israel and worldwide. "The anti-Israel BDS and delegitimization movement has been ramping up its efforts at the campus and corporate-organizational levels," said Darshan-Leitner, and "we must expand the fight dramatically."
Shurat HaDin uses courts around the world "to go on the legal offensive" against those it perceives to be "Israel's enemies." In its own words, "as an NGO operating in the private sector", the organisation "is positioned to undertake actions that the Israeli government is unable to formally engage in."
The group is often presented as a "civil rights organisation" working "to stop the flow of terror money" - as Newsweek put it, "attacking the terrorists in their pocketbooks". In fact, as revealed by Wikileaks, Darshan-Leitner "privately admitted to taking direction from the Israeli government over which cases to pursue and relying on Israeli intelligence contacts for witnesses and evidence."
In other words, as an Israeli journalist wrote in 2013, Shurat HaDin "files lawsuits at the behest of the Israeli government", yet still "dares to define itself as a 'human rights organisation'."
One of Shurat HaDin's most infamous attempts to undermine the BDS campaign was their 'anti-discrimination' case brought against the pro-boycott Australian academic Jake Lynch, which ended in failure in July 2014.
Even before the courts dismissed the case, Israel advocates had warned that litigation was "inappropriate and likely to be counter-productive." Shurat HaDin's track record also includes an unsuccessful lawsuit against Jimmy Carter, and threats to global charity Oxfam.
Shurat HaDin's focus on counter-BDS lawfare comes as Israel's Ministry of Justice is "preparing to file lawsuits against [boycott] activists", with a "plan of action" being put together that will reportedly form part of "a wider plan to combat the 'delegitimisation' of Israel."
On Sunday, meanwhile, a major Israeli think tank presented its recommendations to PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet on how best to fight BDS, including "the denunciation of American college faculty who demonise Israel."
The report urged the Israeli government to "promptly adopt an appropriately budgeted comprehensive strategy, and task a senior government official, who reports directly to the prime minister, with coordinating its operational implementation."
Here in Britain, UK Lawyers for Israel is currently recruiting [PDF] a "full-time Director of Operations" on £40,000-50,000. In the job advert, the organisation describes itself as "increasingly recognised for its valuable efforts in combating BDS and other attempts to undermine Israel."
As the Israeli government and international lobby groups escalate their efforts to undermine Palestine solidarity and the BDS campaign, an increase in 'lawfare' tactics is almost certain. Whether this will prove effective, however, is much less clear.
23 june 2015
Tens of Israeli, Saudi Officers Killed in Yemen Missile Attacks
Some 20 Israeli officers and 63 Saudi military men and officials were killed and many others taken captive in a special military operation of Yemen’s Ansarullah movement in Amir Khalid airbase in Southern Saudi Arabia, a top security official announced on Wednesday.
“The Ansarullah fighters backed by the Yemeni army hit Amir Khalid airbase in Khamees al-Mushait region in Southern Saudi Arabia with a scud missile and several Najm al-Saqeb (Striking Star) missiles last week, killing over 20 senior Israeli officers and 63 Saudi military men and capturing 35 others,” Mehdi Nasser al-Bashi told FNA on Wednesday.
He mentioned that the Israeli officers were agents of the Mossad spy agency and were in the region to help the Saudi army, and said, “At the time of the attack the Israeli officers were working on a plan to attack some regions of Yemen with prohibited Israeli-made weapons.”
The Yemeni army targeted Amir Khalid military base in Khamees al-Mushait region by Scud missiles last week. The Saudi army claimed that it had intercepted the Scud by two Patriot missiles, but the Arabic-language Al-Mayadeen news channel showed footage of the missile attack, reporting that it had hit the target. Following the attack the Saudi army evacuated the passenger terminals of two airports in nearby areas.
Later reports revealed that Saudi Arabia’s Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Muhammad bin Ahmed al-Shaalan had been killed in the missile attack. Earlier today, a senior commander of Ansarullah confirmed that the Yemeni popular forces and the army had killed the Saudi Air Force Commander in the missile attack.
“Shaalan was killed 5 days ago in the Yemeni army’s special operations against Amir Khalid airbase in Khamees al-Mushait border area in Saudi Arabia,” Colonel Salih Mohammad told FNA on Wednesday.
“The attack against Khalid airbase was waged by missiles and weapons systems that were not very special; the operation was planned by Ansarullah and the Yemeni army conducted it after Ansarullah provided it with the information about Muhammed Shaalan’s presence at Khalid airbase in Khamees al-Mushait,” he added.
Colonel Mohammad, meantime, said that the Yemeni army has also come in possession of advanced US-made weapons systems after capturing the Saudis’ Khalid airbase following the initial missile attack.
Last Wednesday, the official Saudi Press Agency quoting the Ministry of Defense declared the death of Lieutenant General Muhammad bin Ahmed al-Shaalan, but asserted that the commander had died of a heart attack during a work trip outside the kingdom.
Only a few hours later, informed sources in New York challenged the Saudi news agency’s report, and said the General had been killed in Yemen’s missile attacks. An informed Yemeni source who called for anonymity said in New York last Wednesday that “Shaalan was killed in the Yemeni army’s missile attacks against Saudi Arabia’s Khamees al-Mushait region five days earlier”.
Then later on Wednesday, another well-known Saudi source rejected the reports that Shaalan had died of a heart attack, and disclosed that his body was charred showing that he has been killed in an enemy attack.
Jamal Bean wrote on his Tweeter page that Shaalan and his accompanying team have been killed in the Yemeni army’s missile attack since their corpses were scorched by the fire of a blast.
Some 20 Israeli officers and 63 Saudi military men and officials were killed and many others taken captive in a special military operation of Yemen’s Ansarullah movement in Amir Khalid airbase in Southern Saudi Arabia, a top security official announced on Wednesday.
“The Ansarullah fighters backed by the Yemeni army hit Amir Khalid airbase in Khamees al-Mushait region in Southern Saudi Arabia with a scud missile and several Najm al-Saqeb (Striking Star) missiles last week, killing over 20 senior Israeli officers and 63 Saudi military men and capturing 35 others,” Mehdi Nasser al-Bashi told FNA on Wednesday.
He mentioned that the Israeli officers were agents of the Mossad spy agency and were in the region to help the Saudi army, and said, “At the time of the attack the Israeli officers were working on a plan to attack some regions of Yemen with prohibited Israeli-made weapons.”
The Yemeni army targeted Amir Khalid military base in Khamees al-Mushait region by Scud missiles last week. The Saudi army claimed that it had intercepted the Scud by two Patriot missiles, but the Arabic-language Al-Mayadeen news channel showed footage of the missile attack, reporting that it had hit the target. Following the attack the Saudi army evacuated the passenger terminals of two airports in nearby areas.
Later reports revealed that Saudi Arabia’s Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Muhammad bin Ahmed al-Shaalan had been killed in the missile attack. Earlier today, a senior commander of Ansarullah confirmed that the Yemeni popular forces and the army had killed the Saudi Air Force Commander in the missile attack.
“Shaalan was killed 5 days ago in the Yemeni army’s special operations against Amir Khalid airbase in Khamees al-Mushait border area in Saudi Arabia,” Colonel Salih Mohammad told FNA on Wednesday.
“The attack against Khalid airbase was waged by missiles and weapons systems that were not very special; the operation was planned by Ansarullah and the Yemeni army conducted it after Ansarullah provided it with the information about Muhammed Shaalan’s presence at Khalid airbase in Khamees al-Mushait,” he added.
Colonel Mohammad, meantime, said that the Yemeni army has also come in possession of advanced US-made weapons systems after capturing the Saudis’ Khalid airbase following the initial missile attack.
Last Wednesday, the official Saudi Press Agency quoting the Ministry of Defense declared the death of Lieutenant General Muhammad bin Ahmed al-Shaalan, but asserted that the commander had died of a heart attack during a work trip outside the kingdom.
Only a few hours later, informed sources in New York challenged the Saudi news agency’s report, and said the General had been killed in Yemen’s missile attacks. An informed Yemeni source who called for anonymity said in New York last Wednesday that “Shaalan was killed in the Yemeni army’s missile attacks against Saudi Arabia’s Khamees al-Mushait region five days earlier”.
Then later on Wednesday, another well-known Saudi source rejected the reports that Shaalan had died of a heart attack, and disclosed that his body was charred showing that he has been killed in an enemy attack.
Jamal Bean wrote on his Tweeter page that Shaalan and his accompanying team have been killed in the Yemeni army’s missile attack since their corpses were scorched by the fire of a blast.
21 june 2015
The largely unknown leader of the ISIL terrorist group, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, confirmed in the photo with Senator John McCain
An American political commentator believes that the United States and Israel are undoubtedly the world’s “two leading terrorist organizations.”
“There really can be no serious doubt that the United States and Israel are the two leading terrorist organizations in the world which is the reason why the Department of State has to made incoherent claims such as that Iran is classified as a terrorist organization,” said American philosopher James Fetzer.
He made the remarks in a phone interview with Press TV on Saturday when asked to comment on an annual report by the US State Department that has accused Iran of supporting international terrorist groups, including those militant groups fighting against ISIL terrorists in Iraq and Syria.
The report, however, makes almost no mention of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, which are widely believed to be the main supporters of terrorists in the Middle East. The US itself stands accused of financing and arming militants in the region.
Fetzer said “the United States created the ISIS (ISIL), the United States is sponsoring the ISIS, the United States has opposed the United Nations’ declaration that ISIS is a terrorist organization.”
He also stated that “[Senator] John McCain [Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services] flew to Syria and was photographed with the leader of ISIS who is recognized as a Mossad agent.”
“The latest reports in fact have two high ranking advisers of ISIS, also Mossad agents being captured by American Special Forces in Iraq, which must have been inadvertence of the United States is supporting ISIS, which is widely known in Washington and it’s John McCain’s army,” he added.
“The United States is a great sponsor of terrorism as is Israel, which occurs repeatedly around the world. We should be supporting Syria and Iran and not attacking them or seeking to undermine them,” Fetzer noted.
Comment: Al Baghdadi , is in fact the french Citizen with the real Name Simon Elliot, mother and father French ( Mediterranean Jews ).
An American political commentator believes that the United States and Israel are undoubtedly the world’s “two leading terrorist organizations.”
“There really can be no serious doubt that the United States and Israel are the two leading terrorist organizations in the world which is the reason why the Department of State has to made incoherent claims such as that Iran is classified as a terrorist organization,” said American philosopher James Fetzer.
He made the remarks in a phone interview with Press TV on Saturday when asked to comment on an annual report by the US State Department that has accused Iran of supporting international terrorist groups, including those militant groups fighting against ISIL terrorists in Iraq and Syria.
The report, however, makes almost no mention of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, which are widely believed to be the main supporters of terrorists in the Middle East. The US itself stands accused of financing and arming militants in the region.
Fetzer said “the United States created the ISIS (ISIL), the United States is sponsoring the ISIS, the United States has opposed the United Nations’ declaration that ISIS is a terrorist organization.”
He also stated that “[Senator] John McCain [Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services] flew to Syria and was photographed with the leader of ISIS who is recognized as a Mossad agent.”
“The latest reports in fact have two high ranking advisers of ISIS, also Mossad agents being captured by American Special Forces in Iraq, which must have been inadvertence of the United States is supporting ISIS, which is widely known in Washington and it’s John McCain’s army,” he added.
“The United States is a great sponsor of terrorism as is Israel, which occurs repeatedly around the world. We should be supporting Syria and Iran and not attacking them or seeking to undermine them,” Fetzer noted.
Comment: Al Baghdadi , is in fact the french Citizen with the real Name Simon Elliot, mother and father French ( Mediterranean Jews ).
26 may 2015
With freshly painted Saudi markings..
Two F16 jets were shot down over Yemen this month. When the wreckage was examined, both were found to be of types never supplied to an Arab nation, not Saudi Arabia, nor anyone. The only “buyer” in the region for that type of plane is Israel, an online US military journal claimed in a report Tuesday.
According to Veterans Today, “fresh Saudi markings were painted on the two ‘Israeli’ warplanes.”Analysis of the wreckage showed those planes to be of unknown origin. While they carried Saudi paint jobs, they couldn’t be Saudi aircraft and in fact were Israeli aircraft flown by Arabic speaking Israeli Air Force pilots, the journal claimed.
On May 11, the Yemeni fighters shot down a Moroccan fighter jet violating the country’s airspace in the Noshour Valley in the northern province of Sa’ada.
Earlier in the day, another Saudi F16 fighter jet was downed in the Bayt Khayran area of the district of Bani Harith in the north of the northwestern province of Sana’a. The fighter jet had reportedly conducted a number of airstrikes against Yemen’s al-Dailami air base.
One of the two F16s was shot down by an updated BUK system supplied by Russia — Yemen is well-equipped with modern Russian weaponry including MiG-29s and advanced air-defense systems, a fact that has clearly been overlooked by the Saudis and their Israeli allies.
Photo analysis of the shot down F16 in Yemen showed it was probably one of the 50 surplus US F16 A models given to Israel during the Clinton administration or it was a recently surplus ex-NATO aircraft either from Italy or Portugal.
The only other option is that they were directly supplied from the US covertly, VT added.
With the distance between Israel and to Yemen being 1,200 miles an F16 with 3 drop tanks, 4×1000 lb. bombs and two sidewinder missiles for self-defense is do-able from Israel — the very same distance and mission configuration as needed to hit Iran, the US edition claimed in a report.
Two F16 jets were shot down over Yemen this month. When the wreckage was examined, both were found to be of types never supplied to an Arab nation, not Saudi Arabia, nor anyone. The only “buyer” in the region for that type of plane is Israel, an online US military journal claimed in a report Tuesday.
According to Veterans Today, “fresh Saudi markings were painted on the two ‘Israeli’ warplanes.”Analysis of the wreckage showed those planes to be of unknown origin. While they carried Saudi paint jobs, they couldn’t be Saudi aircraft and in fact were Israeli aircraft flown by Arabic speaking Israeli Air Force pilots, the journal claimed.
On May 11, the Yemeni fighters shot down a Moroccan fighter jet violating the country’s airspace in the Noshour Valley in the northern province of Sa’ada.
Earlier in the day, another Saudi F16 fighter jet was downed in the Bayt Khayran area of the district of Bani Harith in the north of the northwestern province of Sana’a. The fighter jet had reportedly conducted a number of airstrikes against Yemen’s al-Dailami air base.
One of the two F16s was shot down by an updated BUK system supplied by Russia — Yemen is well-equipped with modern Russian weaponry including MiG-29s and advanced air-defense systems, a fact that has clearly been overlooked by the Saudis and their Israeli allies.
Photo analysis of the shot down F16 in Yemen showed it was probably one of the 50 surplus US F16 A models given to Israel during the Clinton administration or it was a recently surplus ex-NATO aircraft either from Italy or Portugal.
The only other option is that they were directly supplied from the US covertly, VT added.
With the distance between Israel and to Yemen being 1,200 miles an F16 with 3 drop tanks, 4×1000 lb. bombs and two sidewinder missiles for self-defense is do-able from Israel — the very same distance and mission configuration as needed to hit Iran, the US edition claimed in a report.
18 may 2015
Eli Cohen (left) during his trial in Damascus
50 years after being caught and executed in Damascus, Mossad spy is remembered in ceremony; 'Eli Cohen was an extraordinary hero of Israel,' says President Rivlin.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Tuesday at a ceremony in memory of Mossad spy Eli Cohen that Israel will not rest until it brings Cohen back home for burial, 50 years after he was caught and executed in Damascus.
"Children are named after Eli, streets and neighborhoods across the country commemorate his memory, and thanks to heroes like him, whose extreme modesty is inversely proportional to the greatness of their actions, we are able to survive," Netanyahu said.
"As we speak, Mossad agents are working worldwide to continue Eli's legacy, and they are also worthy men and women, to the full appreciation of our people, even if their actions are not known and I hope are never known," he added.
Netanyahu stressed the importance of Israel's control over the Golan Heights. "Imagine the Syrian army or rebel forces or extremist Islamic terrorist organizations or Hezbollah, under the command of Iranian generals, coming down from the Golan Heights to the Kinneret and the valleys of the north. Thanks to Eli Cohen this has been prevented," he said. The prime minister also vowed to include Eli Cohen's story in school curriculum.
"Those who were not raised in the world of covert operations will have a hard time understanding the full significance of the warrior in the Mossad," Mossad chief Tamir Pardo said. "Only a select few are fit to fill this role. It requires a unique personality and a rare combination of qualities. Eli was one such warrior ... the legacy left by Eli, our man in Damascus, will survive for eternity."
Nadia Cohen, the spy's widow, spoke at the ceremony, saying, "Don't forget where Eli is, he is not with us. I'm asking, on this occasion, to do everything to bring him back home, to the country he fought for and for which he paid with his life."
President Reuven Rivlin, who hosted the ceremony at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, said: "Few people are remembered for generations. Among those few, there are almost none from the heroes of the intelligence community.
Unknown soldiers who put their souls on the line and risk losing their lives at any minute, under a blanket of secrecy. "Eli Cohen was an extraordinary hero of Israel. He merited that the entire country would know him well and maintain his legacy. We, citizens of Israel, will forever remember Eli Cohen as a true hero, who sacrificed his life in the defense of our security and for the freedom of our country."
The president also talked about the obligation to remember Eli Cohen and his work, "The passing of the years can dim and blur the memory. Yet, our heroic brothers, who sacrificed their lives for our sake, deserve to be forever remembered." He went on to stress, "This memorial ceremony marks a debt of honor to our brother Eli Cohen, and to his legacy. An eternal legacy which forever remains in our hearts. The legacy of our 'man in Damascus', for whom the safety to the State of Israel was ingrained in his very being."
Cohen's three children and three brothers also attended the ceremony, as well as former Mossad heads Danny Yatom and Zvi Zamir. Eli Cohen joined Army Intelligence in 1960 and in 1963, he moved to the special operations unit. His unique skills and exceptional professionalism helped him penetrate the top Syrian echelons and produce valuable and vital intelligence that improved Israel's preparedness ahead of the Six-Day War.
Cohen helped thwart Syrian plans against Israel and passed on information on a Syrian plot to sabotage the National Water Carrier of Israel, the formation of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), and the armament of the Syrian Army - issues of the utmost importance to Israel's defense establishment in those years. When Cohen was caught, Israel made a great effort to rescue him and made different proposals to the Syrian leadership for Cohen's release, but those were rejected out of hand. On May 18, 1965, Eli Cohen was hanged in Damascus.
Even 50 years after his execution, Eli Cohen is still considered a legendary warrior whose story and operations are told and taught in the Mossad to this very day.
50 years after being caught and executed in Damascus, Mossad spy is remembered in ceremony; 'Eli Cohen was an extraordinary hero of Israel,' says President Rivlin.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Tuesday at a ceremony in memory of Mossad spy Eli Cohen that Israel will not rest until it brings Cohen back home for burial, 50 years after he was caught and executed in Damascus.
"Children are named after Eli, streets and neighborhoods across the country commemorate his memory, and thanks to heroes like him, whose extreme modesty is inversely proportional to the greatness of their actions, we are able to survive," Netanyahu said.
"As we speak, Mossad agents are working worldwide to continue Eli's legacy, and they are also worthy men and women, to the full appreciation of our people, even if their actions are not known and I hope are never known," he added.
Netanyahu stressed the importance of Israel's control over the Golan Heights. "Imagine the Syrian army or rebel forces or extremist Islamic terrorist organizations or Hezbollah, under the command of Iranian generals, coming down from the Golan Heights to the Kinneret and the valleys of the north. Thanks to Eli Cohen this has been prevented," he said. The prime minister also vowed to include Eli Cohen's story in school curriculum.
"Those who were not raised in the world of covert operations will have a hard time understanding the full significance of the warrior in the Mossad," Mossad chief Tamir Pardo said. "Only a select few are fit to fill this role. It requires a unique personality and a rare combination of qualities. Eli was one such warrior ... the legacy left by Eli, our man in Damascus, will survive for eternity."
Nadia Cohen, the spy's widow, spoke at the ceremony, saying, "Don't forget where Eli is, he is not with us. I'm asking, on this occasion, to do everything to bring him back home, to the country he fought for and for which he paid with his life."
President Reuven Rivlin, who hosted the ceremony at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, said: "Few people are remembered for generations. Among those few, there are almost none from the heroes of the intelligence community.
Unknown soldiers who put their souls on the line and risk losing their lives at any minute, under a blanket of secrecy. "Eli Cohen was an extraordinary hero of Israel. He merited that the entire country would know him well and maintain his legacy. We, citizens of Israel, will forever remember Eli Cohen as a true hero, who sacrificed his life in the defense of our security and for the freedom of our country."
The president also talked about the obligation to remember Eli Cohen and his work, "The passing of the years can dim and blur the memory. Yet, our heroic brothers, who sacrificed their lives for our sake, deserve to be forever remembered." He went on to stress, "This memorial ceremony marks a debt of honor to our brother Eli Cohen, and to his legacy. An eternal legacy which forever remains in our hearts. The legacy of our 'man in Damascus', for whom the safety to the State of Israel was ingrained in his very being."
Cohen's three children and three brothers also attended the ceremony, as well as former Mossad heads Danny Yatom and Zvi Zamir. Eli Cohen joined Army Intelligence in 1960 and in 1963, he moved to the special operations unit. His unique skills and exceptional professionalism helped him penetrate the top Syrian echelons and produce valuable and vital intelligence that improved Israel's preparedness ahead of the Six-Day War.
Cohen helped thwart Syrian plans against Israel and passed on information on a Syrian plot to sabotage the National Water Carrier of Israel, the formation of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), and the armament of the Syrian Army - issues of the utmost importance to Israel's defense establishment in those years. When Cohen was caught, Israel made a great effort to rescue him and made different proposals to the Syrian leadership for Cohen's release, but those were rejected out of hand. On May 18, 1965, Eli Cohen was hanged in Damascus.
Even 50 years after his execution, Eli Cohen is still considered a legendary warrior whose story and operations are told and taught in the Mossad to this very day.
15 may 2015
Book by former Mossad official Yossi Alpher details secret relationships with Irans Shahs and an unusual request to take the life of the revolutionary Ayatollah.
In a shocking revelation at a special conference at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, it was revealed that former Iranian Prime Minister Shapour Bakhtiar, the last prime minister before the Islamic Revolution, asked Mossad agents in Tehran to assassinate the leader of the Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini.
The new information was revealed with the release of a new book from Yossi Alpher, a former Mossad official. In it's pages, Alpher saying that Eliezer Tzafrir received the request from Bakhtiar in January 1979 to kill Khomeini who was living in Paris at the time after being deported from Iraq.
Iraq offered to hand Khomeini to the Shah in Iran to be executed, but the leader refused and the revolutionary found assylum in France. Israel maintained a top secret relationship with the Shahs of Iran and carried out deals that included extensive sales of arms produced in Israeli factories.
Additionally, the two countries created an intimate relationship in the field of intelligence. After Tzafrir received the request of serious implications, the message was passed on to Mossad officials in Tel Aviv who met to discuss their options.
"Mossad director Yitzhak Hofi announced at the beginning of the meeting that wasn't prone to support the request on moral grounds but asked to hear the opinions of those who were present," said Alpher. "I told the heads of the Mossad that I had difficulty supporting the request because we didn't know enough about who and what Khomeini was. I really regret not supporting that request."
In a shocking revelation at a special conference at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, it was revealed that former Iranian Prime Minister Shapour Bakhtiar, the last prime minister before the Islamic Revolution, asked Mossad agents in Tehran to assassinate the leader of the Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini.
The new information was revealed with the release of a new book from Yossi Alpher, a former Mossad official. In it's pages, Alpher saying that Eliezer Tzafrir received the request from Bakhtiar in January 1979 to kill Khomeini who was living in Paris at the time after being deported from Iraq.
Iraq offered to hand Khomeini to the Shah in Iran to be executed, but the leader refused and the revolutionary found assylum in France. Israel maintained a top secret relationship with the Shahs of Iran and carried out deals that included extensive sales of arms produced in Israeli factories.
Additionally, the two countries created an intimate relationship in the field of intelligence. After Tzafrir received the request of serious implications, the message was passed on to Mossad officials in Tel Aviv who met to discuss their options.
"Mossad director Yitzhak Hofi announced at the beginning of the meeting that wasn't prone to support the request on moral grounds but asked to hear the opinions of those who were present," said Alpher. "I told the heads of the Mossad that I had difficulty supporting the request because we didn't know enough about who and what Khomeini was. I really regret not supporting that request."
27 mar 2015
unconfirmed...
Israel’s fighter jets have taken part in the Thursday Saudi-led airstrikes on Yemen, sources in Sanaa disclosed on Friday. “This is for the first time that the Zionists are conducting a joint operation in coalition with Arabs,” Secretary General of Yemen’s Al-Haq Political Party Hassan Zayd wrote on his facebook page.
He noted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had issued direct orders for the Israeli air force to send fighter jets to the Saudi-led air raid on Yemen.
Saudi Arabia launched airstrikes against Yemen and killed, at least, 25 civilians early Thursday, one day after the US-backed Yemeni president fled the country.
Also, 15 more people were killed and injured in a second round of massive attacks by the Saudi Arabian fighter jets in the Northwestern Yemeni city of Sa’ada on Friday.
Yemen’s al-Massira TV reported that the Saudi air force targeted the Yemeni’s civilians who were shopping in a market.
Five Persian Gulf States — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait — backed by the US have declared war on Yemen in a joint statement issued earlier Thursday.
US President Barack Obama authorized the provision of logistical and intelligence support to the military operations, National Security Council Spokesperson Bernadette Meehan said late Wednesday night.
She added that while US forces were not taking direct military action in Yemen, Washington was establishing a Joint Planning Cell with Saudi Arabia to coordinate US military and intelligence support.
Riyadh claimed that it has bombed the positions of the Ansarullah fighters and launched attacks against the Sana’a airport and the Dulaimi airbase.
Despite Riyadh’s claims that it is attacking Ansarullah positions, Saudi warplanes have flattened a number of homes near Sana’a international airport. Based on early reports, the Saudi airstrikes on Yemen have so far claimed the lives of 25 civilians with more deaths feared, Yemeni sources said.
The Saudi aggression has received growing international condemnation as it is pushing the region and the world into an unprecedented fast-growing war as its ISIL mercenaries are on the brink of complete annihilation in Iraq and Syria.
Israel’s fighter jets have taken part in the Thursday Saudi-led airstrikes on Yemen, sources in Sanaa disclosed on Friday. “This is for the first time that the Zionists are conducting a joint operation in coalition with Arabs,” Secretary General of Yemen’s Al-Haq Political Party Hassan Zayd wrote on his facebook page.
He noted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had issued direct orders for the Israeli air force to send fighter jets to the Saudi-led air raid on Yemen.
Saudi Arabia launched airstrikes against Yemen and killed, at least, 25 civilians early Thursday, one day after the US-backed Yemeni president fled the country.
Also, 15 more people were killed and injured in a second round of massive attacks by the Saudi Arabian fighter jets in the Northwestern Yemeni city of Sa’ada on Friday.
Yemen’s al-Massira TV reported that the Saudi air force targeted the Yemeni’s civilians who were shopping in a market.
Five Persian Gulf States — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait — backed by the US have declared war on Yemen in a joint statement issued earlier Thursday.
US President Barack Obama authorized the provision of logistical and intelligence support to the military operations, National Security Council Spokesperson Bernadette Meehan said late Wednesday night.
She added that while US forces were not taking direct military action in Yemen, Washington was establishing a Joint Planning Cell with Saudi Arabia to coordinate US military and intelligence support.
Riyadh claimed that it has bombed the positions of the Ansarullah fighters and launched attacks against the Sana’a airport and the Dulaimi airbase.
Despite Riyadh’s claims that it is attacking Ansarullah positions, Saudi warplanes have flattened a number of homes near Sana’a international airport. Based on early reports, the Saudi airstrikes on Yemen have so far claimed the lives of 25 civilians with more deaths feared, Yemeni sources said.
The Saudi aggression has received growing international condemnation as it is pushing the region and the world into an unprecedented fast-growing war as its ISIL mercenaries are on the brink of complete annihilation in Iraq and Syria.
