Last month, Zman covered in detail the harrowing . This month, we follow up with an article on the Israeli government’s reaction: a long term, wide-ranging, Striking Back… bloody search-and-hunt campaign targeting those connected to the horrific terrorist attack. Encompassing some of the most audacious plans and employing some of the most ingenious spy tactics, agents staked out suspected terrorist leaders across Europe and the Middle East. Often After Munich they got their man, but sometimes they failed miserably, The Secret Assassination Campaign to Track not only calling into question the agency’s competence but fanning the fierce controversy over the morality of the Down the Perpetrators of the Munich Massacre so-called “Wrath of G-d” and similar operations.

Moshe Miller

48 | ZMAN • May 2014 ZMAN • Iyar 5774 | 49 September 5, 1972 stone’s throw from Damascus. Two hundred Around 11:30 PM terrorists were killed, along with at least 11 bystanders. Syrian military planes sent to tense Golda Meir sat in a comfort- respond to ’s violation of its airspace able chair, surrounded by cabinet were downed. Amembers, eyes glued to the television Eight days later, on September 16, a huge screen despite her fatigue. She felt as if the number of Israeli tanks rolled into southern weight of the excruciating anticipation of Lebanon. Over 1,300 infantrymen partici- the entire nation—Jews all over the world, even—was pressing upon her. She knew bombs were dropped over the course of two that the West German operation to rescue days.pated Onein the hundred raid. One thirty hundred homes fifty suspected tons of the Israeli Olympic athletes held hostage by Zvi Zamir, Israel’s Mossad chief of housing PLO terrorists were destroyed. Arab terrorists was underway, and she could at the time of the Munich Massacre. The IDF reported 45 killed and 16 captured. only hope that they would achieve the best On September 12, Golda Meir had stood Members of Israeli sports organizations form a Guard of Honor possible outcome (see Zman 52—Pesach disappointment. From her youth, she had up in the Knesset and made her intentions, in front of command cars bearing the bodies of victims of the 5774). worked unwaveringly toward the establish- and that of the Israeli government, quite Munich Massacre during memorial services at Lod Airport. Suddenly, the television announcer inter- ment of an independent Jewish homeland in explicit: rupted his report. “This just in from Reuters,” Palestine. She was one of the 24 signatories he said in an authoritative tone. “All nine on Israel’s declaration of independence. From the blood-drenched history of Israeli hostages have been rescued and are According to Zionist ideology, Israel was the Jewish nation, we learn that violence safe. Munich police successfully ambushed “supposed to” single-handedly solve the which begins with the murder of Jews the Arab terrorists at the Fürstenfeldbruck problem of Jewish vulnerability, to be the ends with the spread of violence and airport.” one country that would spare no means to danger to all people, in all nations.… We Mrs. Meir broke into a big grin, looking protect Jews all over the world. Israel had have no choice but to strike at terrorist joyfully at the advisors surrounding her. The failed, and she was its leader. organizations wherever we can reach Germans had done it! Everyone toasted the In a devastatingly symbolic move, on soil them. That is our obligation to ourselves amazing success of the rescue operation. drenched with the Jewish blood of the Holo- and to peace. We shall fulfill that obliga- caust, terrorists who denied Israel’s very tion undauntedly. right to exist had shed innocent Israeli blood September 6, 2:55 AM with stunning audacity. For Golda Meir, it The speech was given in the midst of Israeli tanks in the early 1970s. The secure phone in Prime Minister was an insult never to be forgotten. Israel’s large-scale military reprisal against Meir’s private residence rang, and she grog- terrorist bases, which had temporarily gily reached out her hand to answer it. On knocked the Arab resistance movement off the line was Zvi Zamir, Israel’s Mossad chief. September 8, 1972 its feet. Not that a retaliation had been His tone was grave. It was only the third day after the unexpected. The Syrian military had already “I have bad news, Golda. We just returned terrible events at Munich had reached their begun readying its defenses for a possible from the airport. All nine were killed… not disastrous conclusion. While debate had strike on Damascus as soon as the news one was saved.” raged among political leaders about the emerged from Munich. Nevertheless, the “But, but the news… surely it’s not…” she precise tactics necessary to respond to the gasped in shock. cold-blooded murder of the Jewish athletes, strikes was both mystifying and terrifying final scope and accuracy of the Israeli “I was there,” Zamir stated clearly. “I saw one thing was clear, at least according to the to Israel’s enemies. The destruction of so A stadium in southern Lebanon that had been used what happened with my own eyes. No one’s Israeli media: the populace was demanding many terrorist bases threw the Arab world as a PLO arms depot. Shown after an Israeli bombing. left.” a response. into shock and confusion. The terrorists Her hands shaking, Golda Meir replaced themselves were dumbfounded at how many September, per se. That amorphous terror the phone on its hook. The look off from air bases inside Israel, heading supposedly secret training camps and hide- group, which unabashedly took “credit” for of shock on her face was soon towardThat the Friday, borders dozens with of fighterLebanon, jets Syria took outs had been located by Israeli intelligence the massacre, would prove much harder to replaced with fury. and Jordan. In the largest military operation and annihilated by its armed forces in a pin down. In fact, both masterminds of the Meir recoiled internally from since the 1967 war, the air force simultane- matter of weeks. Munich Massacre, Abu Iyad and Abu Daoud, the hornet’s sting of indigna- ously attacked at least 10 PLO guerilla bases The terrorists killed and the bases admitted later at different times that Black tion, dejection and profound across the borders, including one just a destroyed had nothing to do with Black September was simply the name used

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