The assassination on foreign soil of one of Hamas's top leaders is proof that the resistance movement's warnings on Israel are true, writes Saleh Al-Naami Referring to suspicions of Israel's role in the assassination of Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh, senior Maariv commentator Ben Kasbit praised the Israeli Mossad and its agents for their successful execution of "a clean, untraceable operation". "It has augmented Israel's deterrence in confronting Palestinians and Arabs, and proved Israel's strength and reach," wrote Kasbit. In the same breath, Kasbit described Al-Mabhouh's assassination as "one of the biggest failures in the history of Mossad and the Israeli intelligence apparatus". He strongly criticised decision-makers in Tel Aviv who ordered the assassination because the murder appears to have sabotaged Israeli-European relations when it was revealed that the perpetrators used forged European passports to enter Dubai. It was also embarrassing for the Israeli government when several Israeli citizens made it public that the Mossad assassins used their personal information in the fake passports. Retired generals and Israeli commentators competed in condemning Mossad and questioned the reasoning of Mossad Chief General Meir Dagan in running the organisation. Until very recently, admiration for Dagan and his skills was unanimous in Israeli political and media circles. Today, a former Mossad official describes Al-Mabhouh's assassination as "a colossal failure", and called for Dagan's resignation. The official, who wished to remain anonymous, told Israel Radio of a complicated diplomatic crisis between Israel and other countries as a result of detailed revelations uncovered by the Dubai police about the assassination. "It is difficult to believe that a professional, experienced organisation such as the Mossad committed such terrible mistakes by using Israeli passports at a location filled with surveillance cameras, as is the case in Dubai," he said. The source predicted that in the end all accusatory fingers would point to Israel, and "which will put us at the centre of an international diplomatic crisis". He added: "This operation is an absolute failure, especially after all its details were revealed." Amir Oren, military commentator at Haaretz newspaper, primarily blamed Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for not listening to strong advice against renewing Dagan's tenure at the helm of Mossad for an eighth year. Oren described Netanyahu's decision as "hasty and rash". "Anyone who planned this operation and gave the order to go ahead, and considered this a very successful endeavour will, within days or weeks, find himself facing many unanswered questions," according to Oren. "I have no doubt that this operation will cause political complications for which the head of government will be held responsible." Oren listed several Mossad failures during Netanyahu's tenures, including the 1997 attempt to kill Khaled Meshaal, the head of Hamas's politburo, in Amman and the arrest of Mossad spies in Europe during Netanyahu's first tenure. Nehemia Shtrasler, a prominent Israeli commentator, noted that Mossad has been involved in a series of crimes such as forgery, invasion of privacy, and restricting freedom of movement. Shtrasler criticised the lack of effective judicial and parliamentary supervision of Mossad, which has led this organisation to dare to violate even the rights of Israelis. "How will the people whose identity was stolen by the Mossad be able to travel outside Israel?" he asked. "Does the Mossad view every Israeli citizen as a pawn? Did the prime minister, who is in charge of the Mossad, weigh the pros and cons before approving this operation?" Shtrasler believes that the disadvantages of assassinating Al-Mabhouh far outweigh the advantages. He asserted that if the Hamas leader's actions threatened Israel's security, experience has shown that his successor will be more efficient than Al-Mabhouh. Former Minister of Education Yossi Sarid strongly condemned Netanyahu for approving an assassination to be carried out on the soil of a moderate Arab state such as the UAE. "Netanyahu did not learn anything," Sarid railed. "He is the one who ordered the attempt on Meshaal's life in the Jordanian capital, despite knowing that by doing so he is jeopardising a promising future of strategic cooperation between Jordan and Israel." Sarid argued that Netanyahu should have "properly" questioned the chief of Mossad before the mission was carried out. Many in Israel believe that Al-Mabhouh's murder may negatively affect how the alleged Iranian nuclear threat is handled. Ari Shavit, a prominent political commentator, noted that the Israeli government has delegated Dagan to coordinate attempts to smash the Iranian nuclear project. In an article published in Haaretz, Shavit said that judging by Al-Mabhouh's assassination, "it is clear that Dagan's failure to successfully carry out the operation makes us believe that taking on the Iranian nuclear programme is well beyond his abilities and the capabilities of the organisation he heads." On the other hand, some in Israel are downplaying the protests of European governments. Gerald Steinberg, political science professor at Hebrew University, argued that Israeli ambassadors were called in for a "talking to" by European governments for the sake of formality. Steinberg explained that European capitals understand the motives behind Israel's decision to carry out the assassination. He added that in time it would become apparent that Israel would not suffer any real consequences as a result of this operation. Israeli cabinet ministers declared that Netanyahu bears sole responsibility for the decision to kill Al-Mabhouh. Israeli Minister for Industry Binyamin Ben Eliezer pointed out that the prime minister is the only one with the authority to approve Mossad operations. Speaking to Israel Radio, Ben Eliezer explained that the prime minister is not obliged to disclose information about Mossad operations to the government. Responding to the negative international reaction to using forged European passports, the minister declared: "I am not worried about the international reaction; nobody expected the world to react calmly to this incident. We need to move forward." Ben Eliezer predicted that within six months no one will be talking about this issue anymore, "and everything will be fine". The Ezzeddin Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's military wing, has vowed to avenge Al-Mabhouh's murder. The group's spokesman, Abu Obeida, declared that the decision to take retribution has been taken, and that when it comes it "will be proportionate and of the same nature as the crime." "We have promised revenge and the occupation must live in fear and terror because we will decide how we will exact it," he vowed. "We will not say when or where; the occupiers must brace themselves for our fury and precision." Meshaal announced that the time for threats is over. He expressed faith in the abilities of Al-Qassam Brigades to resourcefully fulfil their promise. "Today is the time for action," he declared. "I call on all my brothers to no longer talk of retribution; today we will act and I am confident of the Brigades' abilities and innovation." Meshaal further asserted that pursuing the killers will not only benefit Hamas, but also all Arab states. He underlined that the incident proves that Israel, and not Hamas or other resistance movements, is the real threat to Arab national security. In short, Al-Mabhouh's murder has ended up like a boomerang coming back to haunt Israel, confirming its isolation among its neighbours and harming its international standing. At the same time, it embarrassed the moderate camp in the Arab world at a time when there is enthusiasm in official Arab corridors about the resumption of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. (see p.15)
