LavonAffair

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TheLavonAffairreferstoafailedIsraelicovertoperation,codenamed
OperationSusannah,conductedinEgyptintheSummerof1954.As
partofthefalseflagoperation,[1]agroupofEgyptianJewswere
recruitedbyIsraelimilitaryintelligencetoplantbombsinsideEgyptian,
American,andBritishownedciviliantargets,cinemas,librariesand
Americaneducationalcenters.Thebombsweretimedtodetonate
severalhoursafterclosingtime.Theattacksweretobeblamedonthe
MuslimBrotherhood,EgyptianCommunists,"unspecifiedmalcontents"
or"localnationalists"withtheaimofcreatingaclimateofsufficient
violenceandinstabilitytoinducetheBritishgovernmenttoretainits
occupyingtroopsinEgypt'sSuezCanalzone.[2]Theoperationcaused
nocasualtiesamongthepopulation,butdidcostthelivesoffour
operatives:twocellmemberswhocommittedsuicideafterbeing
capturedandtwooperativeswhoweretried,convicted,andexecuted
byEgypt.

TheoperationultimatelybecameknownastheLavonAffairafterthe
IsraelidefenseministerPinhasLavonwasforcedtoresignasa PinhasLavon
consequenceoftheincident.BeforeLavon'sresignation,theincident
hadbeeneuphemisticallyreferredtoinIsraelasthe"Unfortunate
Affair"or"TheBadBusiness"(Hebrew:,HaEsekHaBish).AfterIsraelpubliclydeniedany
involvementintheincidentfor51years,thesurvivingagentswereofficiallyhonoredin2005bybeingawarded
certificatesofappreciationbyIsraeliPresidentMosheKatzav.[3]

Contents
1 OperationSusannah
1.1 Aim
1.2 Secretcell
1.3 Operationcommenced
2 Trialsandjail
3 Politicalaftermath
3.1 Denialandfirstinquiry
3.2 Subsequentrevelationsandinquiries
3.3 Publicdebate
4 Legacy
5 References
6 Furtherreading
7 Externallinks

OperationSusannah
Aim

Intheearly1950s,theUnitedStatesinitiatedamoreactivistpolicyofsupportforEgyptiannationalismthis
wasoftenincontrastwithBritishpoliciesofmaintainingitsregionalhegemony.Israelfearedthatthispolicy,
whichencouragedBritaintowithdrawitsmilitaryforcesfromtheSuezCanal,wouldemboldenEgyptian
PresidentNasser'smilitaryambitionstowardsIsrael.Israelfirstsoughttoinfluencethispolicythrough
diplomaticmeansbutwasfrustrated.[4]

Inthesummerof1954ColonelBinyaminGibli,thechiefofIsrael'smilitaryintelligence,Aman,initiated
OperationSusannahinordertoreversethatdecision.ThegoaloftheOperationwastocarryoutbombingsand
otheractsofsabotageinEgyptwiththeaimofcreatinganatmosphereinwhichtheBritishandAmerican
opponentsofBritishwithdrawalfromEgyptwouldbeabletogaintheupperhandandblocktheBritish
withdrawalfromEgypt.

AccordingtohistorianShabtaiTeveth,whowroteoneofthemoredetailedaccounts,theassignmentwas"To
undermineWesternconfidenceintheexisting[Egyptian]regimebygeneratingpublicinsecurityandactionsto
bringaboutarrests,demonstrations,andactsofrevenge,whiletotallyconcealingtheIsraelifactor.Theteam
wasaccordinglyurgedtoavoiddetection,sothatsuspicionwouldfallontheMuslimBrotherhood,the
Communists,'unspecifiedmalcontents'or'localnationalists'."[2]

Secretcell

Thetopsecretcell,Unit131,[5]whichwastocarryouttheoperation,hadexistedsince1948andunderAman
since1950.AtthetimeofOperationSusannah,Unit131wasthesubjectofabitterdisputebetweenAman
(militaryintelligence)andMossad(nationalintelligenceagency)overwhoshouldcontrolit.

Unit131operativeshadbeenrecruitedseveralyearsbefore,whentheIsraeliintelligenceofficerAvrahamDar
arrivedinCairounderthecoverofaBritishcitizenfromGibraltarnamedJohnDarling.Hehadrecruited
severalEgyptianJewswhohadpreviouslybeenactiveinillegalemigrationactivitiesandtrainedthemfor
covertoperations.

Operationcommenced

AmandecidedtoactivatethenetworkintheSpringof1954.On2Julythecelldetonatedbombsatapostoffice
inAlexandria,[6]andon14July,itbombedthelibrariesoftheU.S.InformationAgencyinAlexandriaand
CairoandaBritishownedtheater.Thehomemadebombs,consistingofbagscontainingacidplacedover
nitroglycerine,wereinsertedintobooks,andplacedontheshelvesofthelibrariesjustbeforeclosingtime.
Severalhourslater,astheacidatethroughthebags,thebombswouldexplode.Theydidlittledamagetothe
targetsandcausednoinjuriesordeaths.

Beforethegroupbegantheoperation,IsraeliagentAvriElad(Avraham
Seidenwerg)wassenttooverseetheoperations.Eladassumedtheidentity
ofPaulFrank,aformerSSofficerwithNaziundergroundconnections.
AvriEladallegedlyinformedtheEgyptians,resultingintheEgyptian
intelligenceagencyfollowingasuspecttohistarget,theRioTheatre,
whereafireenginewasstandingby.Egyptianauthoritiesarrestedthis
suspect,PhilipNatanson,whenhisbombaccidentallyignitedprematurely
inhispocket.Havingsearchedhisapartment,theyfoundincriminating
evidenceandnamesofaccomplicestotheoperation.

Severalsuspectswerearrested,includingEgyptianJewsandundercover
Israelis.ColonelDarandEladhadmanagedtoescape.Twosuspects,Yosef
CarmonandIsraeliMeirMaxBinethcommittedsuicideinprison.

Trialsandjail
MeirMaxBineth
TheEgyptiantrialbeganon11Decemberandlasteduntil27January1955
twooftheaccused(MosheMarzoukandShmuelAzar)werecondemnedtoexecutionbyhanging,twowere
acquitted,andtherestreceivedlengthyprisonterms.
In1954,onbehalfofboththeWJCandWinstonChurchill,MauriceOrbachwenttoCairotohelpsavethe
livesofJewssentencedtodeath.[7]Later,hesaidthatEgypt'sPresident,GamalAbdelNasser,hadagreedto
sparetheirlivesbutthenrenegedtobalancetheirdeathswithmembersofMuslimBrotherhood.[8]

ThetrialwascriticisedinIsraelasashowtrial,althoughstrictIsraelimilitarycensorshipofthepress,atthe
time,meantthattheIsraelipublicwaskeptinthedarkaboutthefactsofthecaseand,infact,wereledto
believethatthedefendantswereinnocent.[9]Therewereallegationsthatevidencehadbeenextractedby
torture.[10]

Afterservingsevenyearjailsentences,twooftheimprisonedoperatives(MeirMeyuhasandMeirZa'afran)
werereleasedin1962.TherestwereeventuallyfreedinFebruary1968,inasecretaddendumtoaprisonerof
warexchange.

Soonaftertheaffair,MossadchiefIsserHarelexpressedsuspiciontoAmanconcerningtheintegrityofAvri
Elad.Despitehisconcerns,AmancontinuedusingEladforintelligenceoperationsuntil1956,whenhewas
caughttryingtosellIsraelidocumentstotheEgyptians.EladwastriedinIsraelandsentencedto10years
imprisonment.DuringElad'simprisonmentinAyalonPrison,themediawereonlyabletorefertohimasthe
"TheThirdMan"or"X"duetogovernmentcensorship.[11]In1976,whilelivinginLosAngeles,Eladpublicly
identifiedhimselfasthe"ThirdMan"fromtheLavonAffair.[11]In1980,Harelpubliclyrevealedevidencethat
EladhadbeenturnedbytheEgyptiansevenbeforeOperationSusannah.

Politicalaftermath
Denialandfirstinquiry

InmeetingswithprimeministerMosheSharett,ministerofdefensePinhasLavondeniedanyknowledgeofthe
operation.WhenintelligencechiefGiblicontradictedLavon,Sharrettcommissionedaboardofinquiry
consistingofIsraeliSupremeCourtJusticeIsaacOlshanandthefirstchiefofstaffoftheIsraelDefenseForces,
YaakovDorithatwasunabletofindconclusiveevidencethatLavonhadauthorizedtheoperation.Lavontried
tofixtheblameonShimonPeres,whowasthesecretarygeneralofthedefenseministry,andGiblifor
insubordinationandcriminalnegligence.

SharettresolvedthedilemmabysidingwithPeres(whohad,alongwithMosheDayan,testifiedagainst
Lavon),afterwhichLavonresignedon17February1955.FormerprimeministerDavidBenGurionsucceeded
Lavonasministerofdefense.On3November1955,Sharett(whohadnotknownabouttheoperationin
advance,andhadthereforestronglydeniedIsrael'sinvolvement)resignedasPrimeMinisterandwasreplaced
byBenGurion.

Subsequentrevelationsandinquiries

InApril1960,areviewofminutesfromtheinquiryfoundinconsistenciesandpossiblyafraudulentdocument
inGibli'soriginaltestimonythatseemedtosupportLavon'saccountofevents.Duringthistime,itcametolight
thatElad(theIsraeliagentrunningOperationSusannahinEgypt)hadcommittedperjuryduringtheoriginal
inquiry.EladwasalsosuspectedofbetrayingthegrouptoEgyptianauthorities,thoughthechargeswerenever
proven.Hewaseventuallysentencedtoajailtermof10yearsfortryingtosellIsraelidocumentstothe
Egyptiansinanunrelatedmatter.BenGurionscheduledclosedhearingswithanewboardofinquirychairedby
HaimCohn,asupremecourtjustice.

Thisinquiryfoundthattheperjuryindeedhadbeencommitted,andthatLavonhadnotauthorizedthe
operation.SharettandLeviEshkoltriedtoissueastatementthatwouldplacatebothLavonandthosewhohad
opposedhim.BenGurionrefusedtoacceptthecompromiseandvieweditasadivisiveplaywithintheMapai
party.
AnotherinvestigativecommitteetookupthematterandsidedwiththeCohninquiry.BenGurionthenresigned
fromhispostasdefenseminister.ThisledtotheexpulsionofLavonfromtheHistadrutlaborunionandan
earlycallfornewelections,theresultsofwhichchangedthepoliticalstructureinIsrael.Thespecificsof
OperationSusannahwerekeptsecretfromtheIsraelipublicatthetimeofthepoliticalupheaval.

Publicdebate

DuetoIsrael'sMilitaryCensorshipthedetailsoftheaffaircouldoriginallynotbeopenlydiscussedinthe
media.Despitethis,debatedidoccurbutwiththeuseofcodewordssuchasthe"SeniorOfficer",toreferto
Gibli,andthe"unfortunatebusiness"torefertotheEgyptianoperation.[12]

Legacy
OperationSusannahandtheLavonAffairturnedouttobedisastrousforIsraelinseveralways:

IsraellostsignificantstandingandcredibilityinitsrelationswiththeUnitedKingdomandtheUnited
Statesthattookyearstorepair.[13]
ThepoliticalaftermathcausedconsiderablepoliticalturmoilinIsraelthataffectedtheinfluenceofits
government.[14]

OnMarch30,2005Israelpubliclyhonoredthesurvivingspies,andPresidentMosheKatsavpresentedeach
withacertificateofappreciationfortheireffortsonbehalfofthestate,endingdecadesofofficialdenialby
Israel.[3]

References
1.JamesM.LutzBrendaJ.Lutz(2004).Global
terrorism.p.46.ISBN0415700515.Retrieved
7June2011.
2.S.Teveth(1996).BenGurion'sspy:thestoryofthe
politicalscandalthatshapedmodernIsrael.
ColumbiaUniversityPress.p.81.ISBN9780231
104647.
3."Israelhonors9Egyptianspies".Ynetnews.Reuters.
30March2005.
4.Hahn,PeterL(2004).UnitedStates,GreatBritain,
andEgypt,19451956:StrategyandDiplomacy.UNC
Press.p.187.ISBN9780807819425."Inlate
1954,theAngloEgyptianbaseagreementand
AmericanplanstopromoteaNortherntiersecurity
arrangementgeneratedtensionbetweenIsraeland
Egypt.IsraeliofficialsfearedthatBritishtroop
withdrawalfromtheCanalzone...wouldencourage
EgyptianaggressivenesstowardIsraelandremove
WesternleveragetomodifyEgyptianbehavioron
issuessuchasSuezCanalrestrictions."
5.Lappin,Yaakov(20080820)."BinyaminGibli,
LavonAffairfigure,diesat89".TheJerusalemPost.
Retrieved25May2012.
6.Black,IanMorris,Benny(1June1992).Israel's
secretwars:ahistoryofIsrael'sintelligenceservices.
GrovePress.p.111.ISBN9780802132864.
Retrieved19June2011.
7.ThePalgraveDictionaryofAngloJewishHistory.
London:PalgraveMacmillan.2011.p.734.Retrieved
29August2016.
8."MauriceOrbachDeadat76".JewishTelegraphic
Agency.27April1979.Retrieved29August2016.
9.Shlaim,Avi(2000).TheIronWall.PenguinBooks.
pp.117119.ISBN9780140288704."Sharett
knewthatadeathsentencewouldhaveadisastrous
effectathomebecausetheIsraelipublichadbeenled
tobelievethatthedefendantswereinnocent."
10."TheLavonAffair".JewishVirtualLibrary.
Retrieved20081029.
11.Herman,Pini."LosAngeleshaditsownIsraeliEx
"PrisonerX" ".LosAngelesJewishJournal.Tribe
Publications.Retrieved20February2013.
12.e.g.Teveth,Shabtai(1974).MosheDayan:The
soldier,theman,thelegend.QuartetBooks.pp.265,
266.ISBN0704310805.Stillusedtwentyyears
later.
13.TheencyclopediaoftheArabIsraeliconflict:a
political,social,andmilitaryhistory.ABCCLIO.
2008.p.610.
14.Beinin,Joel(2005).ThedispersionofEgyptian
Jewry:culture,politics,andtheformationofa
moderndiaspora.AUCPress.p.111.

Furtherreading
 AviezerGolan,NinioMarcelle,VictorLevy,RobertDassaandPhilipNatanson(AstoldtoAviezer
Golan)(TranslatedfromHebrewbyPeretzKidron)(FwdbyGoldaMeir):OperationSusannah,Harper
&Row,NYC,1978ISBN9780060115555
JoelBeinin:NazisandSpiesTheDiscourseofOperationSusannah(http://content.cdlib.org/view?docId=
ft2290045n&chunk.id=ch4),ch4inTheDispersionOfEgyptianJewryCulture,Politics,AndThe
FormationOfAModernDiaspora(http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/ft2290045n/)Berkeley:Universityof
CaliforniaPress,c1998.AmerUnivinCairoPr,2005,ISBN9789774248900
JoelBeinin:EgyptianJewishIdentities.Communitarianisms,nationalisms,nostalgias(http://www.stanfo
rd.edu/group/SHR/51/text/beinin.html)StanfordHumanitiesReview,1996
Ostrovsky,VictorHoy,Claire(1991).Bywayofdeception.St.Martin'sPress.ISBN9780312926144.

Externallinks
TheLavonAffair(http://www.jafi.org.il/education/juice/service/week2.html)byDoronGeller,JUICE,
TheJewishAgencyforIsrael,EducationDepartment
TheLavonAffair(http://www.allaboutpalestine.com/The_Lavon_Affair.html)byDavidHirst,Excerpts
fromhisbook:TheGunandtheOliveBranch,1977,1984,FuturaPublications
ListofbooksabouttheLavonAffair(https://web.archive.org/web/20060214143058/http://users.skynet.b
e/terrorism/html/israel_susannah.htm)

Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lavon_Affair&oldid=738466907"

Categories: ArabIsraeliconflict EgyptIsraelrelations Falseflagoperations JewishEgyptianhistory

1954inIsrael 1954inEgypt 1960inIsrael 1960inEgypt PoliticalscandalsinIsrael
Espionagescandalsandincidents Militaryscandals Secretmilitaryprograms Diplomaticincidents
MilitaryIntelligenceDirectorate(Israel)

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