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The secret mission was announced in a press release: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the team is short on fighting the crown virus on March 19, so Israel uses “all available means” to get face masks and breathing machines. The State Department, the Israeli army and even the Mossad foreign intelligence service are involved.
A few days later, the first successes were reported. Mossad has brought 100,000 test kits to Israel, local media reported. Protective monkeys, fans, and medications followed, all organized by Mossad spies.
It is an unusual procedure: the Mossad generally hunts terrorists abroad or listens to hostile regimes. Previously, the organization was not known for its medical knowledge. How come the Secret Service is now helping you get crown gear?
“It is not as surprising as you might think,” former Mossad chief Dani Yatom told SPIEGEL. “The history of the Mossad is full of similar missions.” Yatom, who led Mossad in the 1990s, lists just a few:
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The rescue of Ethiopian Jews who were smuggled out of the country with the help of the Secret Service in the 1980s.
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The kidnapping of the Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, whom the Mossad tracked down in Argentina. Agents took Eichmann to Israel in 1960, where he was put on trial and hanged.
Yotam says: “Mossad literally means ‘Special Operations and Reconnaissance Institute’.” And he adds: “Sometimes these operations are civil in nature.”
How this special operation came about, revealed the New York Times a few days ago In early February, Yitshak Kreiss, head of the largest Israeli hospital, and Yossi Cohen, head of the Mossad, met through a mutual friend.
Therefore, Kreiss described the bottlenecks that threatened Israel through the corona virus. Cohen then instructed his employees to search for equipment worldwide. Meanwhile, several dozen fans, millions of protective masks, and thousands of test kits have landed in Israel.
Where the material comes from is unclear. The Israeli media speculates on Arab countries with which the Jewish state does not formally maintain diplomatic relations, but with which it cooperates in silence.
In addition to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia could also be considered: Israel and the royal family there are hostile to Iran. Countries have been converging for a long time, even if they have not officially exchanged diplomats.
Corona virus: Corona viruses are a family of viruses that also include the currently rampant Sars-CoV-2 virus. Since it initially had no name, it was referred to as a “new type of corona virus” in the first few weeks.
Sars-CoV-2: WHO gave the new coronavirus the name “Sars-CoV-2” (“Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome” -Coronavirus-2). By the term is meant the virus that can cause symptoms but does not have to.
Covid-19: The respiratory disease caused by Sars-CoV-2 was named “Covid-19” (Coronavirus Disease-2019). Consequently, patients with Covid-19 are people who carry the Sars-CoV-2 virus and show symptoms.
Other media suggest that the equipment may have been purchased in countries seeking it. An anonymous Mossad agent told research program “Uvda” that everyone is looking for crown test kits and fans. Therefore, one uses actions that others have already ordered.
As “New York Times” journalist Ronen Bergman writes, the Mossad is said to have attempted in one case to send teams from Germany. However, emissaries from the federal government had confiscated the assets before they could leave the country.
This procedure also provokes criticism in Israel. The fact that the Mossad is so public and provocative irritates even its own employees, says journalist Yossi Melman, who reports on secret services for the left-wing daily “Haaretz.” “Many at Mossad say fighting the crown is not our job,” says Melman. “They think Mossad is too visible, too aggressive.”
In fact, intelligence agencies generally operate under public radar. Missions are often only known after years, sometimes even after decades. It is unusual for the secret service to report on their work in real time.
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Use a scarf only once! Then throw it away in a covered trash can.
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When coughing and sneezing, hold your arm in front of your mouth and nose when you don’t have a handkerchief on hand.
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Important: Wash your hands well after blowing your nose, sneezing, or coughing, either with an alcohol-based disinfectant or soap and water.
Source: WHO, Ministry of Health.
Former intelligence chief Yatom estimates that the crown operation has been made public to “maintain Israeli morale.” You wanted to show citizens that the state cares at all levels. Journalist Melman suspects another reason. “The love of public relations,” he says.
Current Mossad chief Yossi Cohen is a close confidant of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: Before he was promoted to the head of foreign intelligence, he was Netanyahu’s security adviser. Men are not only personally close, but also politically.
Mossad chief Yossi Cohen is personally and politically close to Prime Minister Netanyahu
Omer Messinger / DPA
Corona’s messages not only increase the Mossad’s reputation in Israel. Netanyahu’s approval ratings have skyrocketed since the crown crisis. You could use it: Israel has just failed to form a new government. People may soon have to return to the polls, for the fourth time in less than two years.
It is unclear whether and how a Crown election can take place. Around 13,000 people in the country currently suffer from Covid-19, and around 150 have died. In these circumstances, former Mossad chief Dani Yotam considers it justifiable to continue using the foreign intelligence service to fight Corona. “We are talking about life and death here,” says Yotam. “That is why we are going to do everything we can to get what we need.”
