The Mossad, Israel’s renowned spy agency, is an indispensable element in the country’s defense strategy. Since its founding, Israel has faced ongoing existential threats, surrounded by hostile nations and targeted by international terrorist organizations.
The Mossad was established in 1949 to protect the Jewish state and has been involved in some of the most daring and successful covert operations in modern history. Below are the top 10 intelligence missions undertaken by the Mossad, demonstrating its effectiveness and relentless pursuit of national security.
1. Operation Finale: The Capture of Adolf Eichmann (1960)
One of the Mossad’s most iconic missions was the capture of Adolf Eichmann, a high-ranking Nazi official responsible for implementing the Holocaust. In 1957, Dr. Fritz Bauer, a German-Jewish Holocaust survivor, alerted the Mossad to Eichmann’s presence in Argentina.
Initially skeptical, Israel’s leadership eventually sanctioned a mission to capture Eichmann.
In 1960, a 30-member Mossad team, including Holocaust survivors, abducted Eichmann as he returned home from work. Nine days later, disguised as a flight crew, they smuggled him onto an El Al flight to Israel, where he stood trial for crimes against humanity.
Eichmann was found guilty and executed, marking a historic moment in Israel’s pursuit of justice for Holocaust victims.
2. Rescuing Moroccan Jews: Operations Mural and Yachin (1961-1964)
After Morocco gained independence from France, its Jewish population faced severe restrictions on emigration. The Mossad intervened to facilitate their escape to Israel. Operation Mural involved covertly moving over 600 Jewish children out of Morocco under the guise of a holiday trip to Switzerland, although the mission was prematurely halted after rumors spread.
Following Operation Mural, Operation Yachin launched a massive emigration effort, relocating nearly 100,000 Jews from Morocco to Israel and other nations. This complex negotiation included payments to the Moroccan government, compensating for the economic loss caused by the departure of such a large population.
3. Operation Damocles: The Fight Against Nazi Scientists (1962)
In 1962, Egypt announced successful missile tests capable of reaching Israel.
The Mossad discovered that these missiles were being developed by former Nazi scientists, leading to Operation Damocles. The Mossad used a combination of intimidation, bribery, and, when necessary, assassination to disrupt Egypt’s missile program.
In one instance, the Mossad turned Otto Skorzeny, a former SS officer, into an asset, offering him protection in exchange for his help in eliminating a German scientist involved in the missile program. Though the operation ended after several Mossad agents were arrested, it successfully thwarted the Egyptian missile threat.
4. Eli Cohen: The Mossad’s Man in Damascus (1962-1965)
One of Mossad’s most legendary spies, Eli Cohen, infiltrated the highest ranks of the Syrian government in the 1960s. Disguised as a wealthy Syrian businessman, Cohen provided Israel with critical intelligence about Syria’s military and political strategies.
His most significant contribution was his detailed reports on Syrian defenses in the Golan Heights, which allowed Israel to win key battles during the 1967 Six-Day War. Unfortunately, Cohen was discovered in 1965 while transmitting a message and was publicly hanged in Damascus.
His contributions, however, remain one of the Mossad’s greatest feats.
5. Operation Diamond: Stealing a MIG-21 Fighter Jet (1966)
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union supplied advanced military technology to Arab states, including the cutting-edge MIG-21 fighter jet. Israel and the United States were eager to analyze the aircraft, leading to the Mossad’s Operation Diamond.
The Mossad convinced Iraqi pilot Munir Redfa to defect and fly his MIG-21 to Israel in exchange for a large sum of money and safe passage for his family. In August 1966, Redfa successfully landed the jet in Israel, providing valuable intelligence on Soviet technology.
6. Supporting Soviet Jewry (1970s and 1980s)
During the Cold War, the Mossad played a crucial role in maintaining contact with Jewish communities behind the Iron Curtain. Working with the Nativ program, the Mossad helped Soviet Jews preserve their religious identity by smuggling in ritual objects.
The agency also assisted Refuseniks (Soviet Jews denied permission to emigrate) by providing them with contraband to sell on the black market, enabling them to support themselves.
7. Operation Wrath of God: Avenging the Munich Massacre (1972)
In response to the murder of 11 Israeli athletes by the Black September terrorist group during the 1972 Munich Olympics, the Israeli government authorized Operation Wrath of God.
The Mossad tracked down and assassinated individuals responsible for the attack, targeting high-profile members of Black September, Fatah, and the Palestine Liberation Organization.
The operation saw collaboration between the Mossad, the Israeli Navy, and special forces, culminating in Operation Spring of Youth, which struck Palestinian terrorist cells in Beirut.
Although Wrath of God was briefly suspended after a mistaken assassination, it resumed and successfully targeted several key figures involved in the Munich massacre.
8. Thwarting Iraq’s Nuclear Ambitions: 1979-1981
In the late 1970s, Israel discovered that Iraq, under Saddam Hussein, was building a nuclear reactor with French assistance. The Mossad played a pivotal role in gathering intelligence, delaying construction, and intimidating those involved in the project.
In a covert operation, Mossad agents in France blew up cores waiting to be shipped to Iraq, slowing down the reactor’s progress. Ultimately, the Israeli Air Force destroyed the Osirak reactor in 1981, preventing Iraq from developing nuclear weapons.
9. Destroying Syria’s Nuclear Reactor: 2007
In 2007, the Mossad discovered a nuclear reactor in Syria being built with the help of North Korean scientists.
The breakthrough came after Mossad agents broke into the hotel room of Ibrahim Othman, the head of Syria’s Atomic Energy Commission, during a visit to Vienna. Data from Othman’s laptop confirmed the reactor’s existence.
Following the discovery, the Israeli Air Force bombed the reactor, eliminating the threat. The Mossad’s intelligence gathering was critical to the success of the mission.
10. Sabotaging Iran’s Nuclear Program (2018-Present)
The Mossad has been deeply involved in efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. In 2018, Mossad agents conducted a daring raid on a warehouse in Tehran, stealing 50,000 pages and 163 CDs of sensitive documents related to Iran’s nuclear program.
The files exposed Iran’s deception in its nuclear activities and its intention to resume bomb production.
In 2021, the Mossad is believed to have caused a significant disruption at the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran, damaging centrifuges and setting back the enrichment of uranium by months.
Conclusion
The Mossad’s operations have been instrumental in ensuring Israel’s security against its most formidable enemies. From capturing Nazi war criminals to sabotaging nuclear reactors, the Mossad continues to be one of the world’s most effective and feared intelligence agencies.