Desperate to showcase achievements? After Naftali Bennett revealed today (Monday) in his speech in the Knesset that the Mossad carried out an operation to locate new information about the missing navigator Ron Arad, the defense establishment admitted: "The operation did not achieve its goal and did not obtain any new information.".
According to a report on Channel 13, a senior official in the system even criticized Bennett - saying: "A sensitive operation was made political use of.".
Commentator Amnon Abramowitz revealed on Channel 12 that the operation was indeed creative and carried out in several countries, but according to Mossad head Dedi Barnea himself, it was not successful and did not lead to any breakthrough.
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According to the report, the head of the Mossad told his people in an internal conversation after the operation: "It was a brave, daring, complex operation - but it failed. It was a failure, but we will continue our efforts.".
In the defense establishment, regarding Bennett's words: "It was not right to talk about this in the Knesset.".
Kan 11 also reported that the operation to obtain the new information about the navigator was unsuccessful, and no such information was obtained. A source familiar with the details of the operation told Kan News this evening that this was an incomprehensible step on the part of the Prime Minister.
The truth must be told: if Netanyahu, as prime minister, had spoken in the Knesset about a security operation that failed (according to reports), the criticism in the media would have been seven times harsher than what Prime Minister Bennett received tonight.
— Ran Boker (@ranboker) October 4, 2021
The Prime Minister's Office responded to criticism from senior security officials against Naftali Bennett's decision to reveal the secret operation to locate information about Israeli navigator Ron Arad.
'"The operation to obtain intelligence about Ron Arad was a successful operation that was carried out while meeting exceptional operational goals," the Prime Minister's Office said, claiming that "bringing the information to members of Knesset and the general public was valuable, expressing the enormous effort and commitment to returning our sons to their borders, even many years after they fell into enemy captivity. Any dissemination of other information is a lie and a fabrication.".
This was a broad and daring operation, spread across several countries and involving quite a few Mossad fighters, including two female fighters. The head of the Mossad informed the Arad family about it personally. Bennett received Tami Arad's blessing before speaking on the subject.
As reported earlier, Bennett said in plenary: "Last month, women and Mossad personnel embarked on an operation aimed at locating new information about Arad's fate and whereabouts.".
Bennett added that he was unable to provide further details about the operation, and that he spoke with Arad's wife Tami and their daughter Yuval.
Bennett knew that the operation was defined as a failure. What reason is there to wave a failed operation in the Knesset? And how can one claim that today's announcement was appropriate and justified?
— Akiva Novick (@akivanovick) October 4, 2021
""I would like to thank the Mossad fighters on my behalf and also on behalf of Tami and Yuval Arad, for their dedication, commitment, and the brotherhood of the fighters, even after so many years. The ransom of prisoners is a Jewish value that has become one of the sacred values of the State of Israel. We will continue to work to return all of our sons home, wherever they are.".
Ron Arad, a combat pilot in the Air Force, was captured by the terrorist organization 'Amal' in Lebanon on October 16, 1986, and was declared missing in action since May 1988, after being transferred to an unknown location. His plane was shot down during a sortie to attack terrorist targets in the Sidon area. The two crew members on the plane, Arad and the pilot Yishai Aviram, abandoned it. Aviram was rescued by a Cobra helicopter, while Arad was captured.
