The Mossad and False Flag Operations

The question of false flag operations by the Mossad (HaMossad leModiʿin uleTafkidim Meyuḥadim, 'the Institute for Intelligence and Special Affairs’) is a subject that mixes verifiable historical facts, gray areas in historiography, and conspiracy theories sometimes tainted by antisemitism. It is essential to rigorously distinguish between these different levels.

THE LAVON AFFAIR (1954) – DOCUMENTED FACT

The Lavon Affair, also known as Operation Susannah, is a documented and recognized case of an Israeli false flag operation. In July 1954, Israeli military intelligence (Aman, distinct from the Mossad) recruited a network of Egyptian Jews to carry out bombings against American and British targets in Egypt (American post offices, United States Information Service libraries, British cinemas). The objective was to have these attacks attributed to the Muslim Brotherhood or Egyptian communists in order to damage relations between Nasser’s Egypt and the Western powers, and to deter the United Kingdom from withdrawing its troops from the Suez Canal.

The operation failed when one of the agents was arrested by Egyptian authorities after an incendiary device exploded prematurely in his pocket in front of an Alexandria cinema on July 23, 1954. The network was dismantled, two agents were sentenced to death and executed (Moshe Marzouk and Shmuel Azar), and several others were imprisoned. In Israel, the affair triggered a major political crisis, with the Minister of Defense Pinhas Lavon being forced to resign in February 1955, although he denied having authorized the operation (hence the name 'Lavon Affair'). Israel officially denied any involvement for decades before acknowledging the facts and honoring the surviving agents in 2005, when President Moshe Katsav presented them with certificates of appreciation.

THE ATTACK ON THE USS LIBERTY (JUNE 8, 1967) – VERIFIABLE FACT, INTENTIONALITY DEBATED

On June 8, 1967, during the Six-Day War, the American electronic intelligence ship USS Liberty was attacked by Israeli air and naval forces in international waters off the Sinai Peninsula. The attack lasted approximately 75 minutes and involved fighter planes (Mirage III and Mystere IV), torpedo boats, and helicopters. 34 American sailors were killed and 171 were injured. The ship was severely damaged but did not sink.

Israel claims the attack was a case of mistaken identity, the Liberty having been mistaken for an Egyptian ship (the El Quseir, a much smaller horse transport). An Israeli inquiry commission concluded that it was an error. The American government officially accepted this explanation, and Israel paid compensation.

However, many USS Liberty survivors dispute this version. Arguments in favor of a deliberate attack include: the ship displayed a large American flag clearly visible; the Liberty's radio communications had been jammed; the attack lasted 75 minutes, an unusually long time for a ‘mistake’; rescue boats were machine-gunned (according to survivors); the Liberty, a 139-meter intelligence ship equipped with distinctive antennas and parabolas, bears no resemblance to the El Quseir (an 84-meter ship with no visible electronic equipment). Admiral Thomas Moorer, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, presided over an unofficial commission in 2003 concluding that the attack was deliberate and that the American government had covered up the facts.

Theories regarding the motive for a deliberate attack vary: preventing the Liberty from intercepting Israeli communications revealing the massacre of Egyptian prisoners of war in El-Arish; provoking an incident to bring the United States into the conflict alongside Israel; or preventing the Americans from learning about plans to invade Syrian Golan.

VICTOR OSTROVSKY AND 'BY WAY OF DECEPTION' (1990)

Victor Ostrovsky, a former Mossad officer (katsa), published 'By Way of Deception: The Making and Unmaking of a Mossad Officer' in 1990, a book revealing many Mossad operations. Israel unsuccessfully attempted to block the book's publication in Canadian courts. Ostrovsky alleges, among other things, that the Mossad was aware in advance of the 1983 bombing of the American Marines in Beirut (241 deaths) and had not warned the Americans. He also describes a structure within the Mossad called 'LAP' (Lohamah Psichologit, psychological warfare) specializing in disinformation and manipulation operations.

In a second book, 'The Other Side of Deception' (1994), Ostrovsky alleges that the Mossad orchestrated the assassination of Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme in 1986 and the Lockerbie bombing in 1988, allegations considered to be unbelievable by most analysts.

THEORIES ON THE MOSSAD AND 9/11

The most controversial and largely speculative theories allege Mossad involvement in the September 11, 2001 attacks. These theories are based on several elements:

1. The ‘Israeli Dancers’: Five Israeli citizens employed by the moving company Urban Moving Systems were arrested in New Jersey on September 11, 2001, after being seen photographing and, according to witnesses, celebrating the attacks on the World Trade Center. They were detained for 71 days before being deported to Israel. At least two of them were identified as Mossad agents by American intelligence sources, according to a June 2002 report by ABC News. During an Israeli television broadcast in 2001, one of them stated: 'Our goal was to document the event.'

2. The DEA Report: In 2001, the Drug Enforcement Administration published a report documenting a network of young Israelis posing as art students and operating near US military bases and sensitive government installations. Some of these ‘students’ resided near the 9/11 hijackers in Florida.

3. The Odigo Warning: The Israeli instant messaging company Odigo confirmed that two of its employees had received an anonymous message warning them of the attacks approximately two hours before the first impact. The company passed this information to the FBI.

These elements, taken individually, may have innocent explanations, but their accumulation fuels conspiracy theories. It is crucial to note that these theories are often disseminated in antisemitic circles and used to incite hatred against Jews, which should not prevent the rational examination of documented facts but imposes a particular vigilance.

DISTINCTION BETWEEN FACTS AND THEORIES

The Lavon Affair is a verifiable historical fact that demonstrates that Israel has indeed carried out at least one false flag operation. The attack on the USS Liberty is a verifiable fact whose intentionality remains a subject of legitimate historical debate. These two precedents establish that such operations are not outside the realm of possibility. However, extrapolating from these historical precedents an involvement in 9/11 constitutes a considerable logical leap, unsupported by direct evidence and often motivated by prejudice rather than factual analysis.