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Subscribe to RSSIsrael broke its official silence on Wednesday over the reported suicide in jail of an Australian immigrant recruited to its spy service Mossad, giving limited details on a closely guarded case.
After appeals by local media chafing at Israeli censorship of a story broken by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), a district court near Tel Aviv allowed publication of six paragraphs of sanctioned text - a de-facto preliminary account by the state.
The text said that an Israeli with an unspecified dual nationality had been secretly imprisoned "out of security considerations", only to be found dead in his cell two years ago in what was eventually ruled a suicide.
The district court did not confirm or deny ABC's unsourced findings that the dead man was 34-year-old Ben Zygier, an Australian who moved to Israel and may have been jailed in isolation over suspected misconduct while spying for Mossad.
Social media records showed that Zygier, who died in late 2010 and was buried in Melbourne, had been married with children. His relatives have declined all comment on the case.
The Israeli district court said the unnamed detainee had been held under the supervision "of the most senior officials of the Justice Ministry" and that his family had been informed of his arrest immediately after it took place.
After citing other legal monitoring mechanisms in the case, the district court said: "Beyond this no details can be published about the affair, for reasons of national security."
Prisoner X
Israeli media had earlier quoted the ABC and other foreign reports about Zygier, dubbed "Prisoner X", some of which suggested he had been under investigation by Australia's security services on suspicion of using his native passport for Mossad missions in countries hostile to the Jewish state.
The possibility that a Mossad officer had been treated so harshly drew comparisons to known previous cases when Israel jailed turncoat spies under blanket secrecy, sometimes lasting years.
Israeli intelligence veterans said such measures reduced the risk of enemy countries where the detainees had served learning of their true identities and then tracing their activities in order to expose other spies still under cover.
Mossad is widely reputed to have stepped up its shadow war in recent years against Iran's nuclear program, Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas, suspected nuclear procurement by Syria and arms smuggling to Palestinians through Dubai, Sudan and Egypt.
Yet the official secrecy over the Zygier report, reinforced by military censors, caused an outcry in Israel, where reporters noted that their compatriots were but a mouse-click away from learning about the case from foreign media on the internet.
In a highly unusual move within hours of the ABC broadcast, Israeli editors were summoned to an emergency meeting in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Tuesday and asked not to publish a story "that is very embarrassing to a certain government agency," Israel's liberal Haaretz newspaper reported.
Haaretz ridiculed the gag order as outmoded and counter-productive, but one of the editors who attended the meeting, Yinon Magal of the Walla news-site, was more circumspect.
The explanation he had received for the secrecy, Magal told Israel's Channel 10 television, "persuaded me, overall, that there is a certain logic, albeit small, that there are considerations of national security and of human life here."
Related:
Controversy erupts on two continents over Israel's 'Prisoner X'
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A murky world.
It has now come to light that the entire turmoil was due to the secret recipe from Aunt Isabele's Matzo Ball soup was going to be published and her husband Menachem was getting his schmeckel bent already
Why is it that Israel is geting special treatment for punishing a secret service agent for his mistakes?
Do all the big words like "human rights", "women rights", "democratic rights", "freedom of expression", "freedom of religion", and so on apply to oil rich Sunni ruled nations like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait and other nations in ME itself?
It is clear that money and favors determine the usage of big words.
In some places, they ignore them.
In "chosen places", if a pin falls on a woman, it becomes nuclear explosion!
Obama's Bedwetters: I understand.
Some Muslims from basket case Muslim nations ruin their place and then sneak into prosperous places like the US, Britain, France, and many European nations.
These Muslims are back to their jobs of ruining the new place. Palestinians have been doing that to Israel.
To some extent, many citizens of Latin American nations including Mexico have been doing them in the US.
In the murky world, most of us are helpless.
rockin moroccan: Due to your Islam, you talk, act and post as if you have no mind!
Most of you have been doing these from the days of your Mohammed!
Mossad is responsible for the safety of a tiny country surrounded by other countries bent on destroying them. From the day Israel became a state in 1948, they have been attacked by other nations, terrorist organizations, and surrogate groups funded by other nations. Anything Mossad does would not surprise me. They, and all intelligence organizations, have made mistakes. It is a "murky world" they live in, as "save the environment" pointed out.
They may engage in apparent inappropriate activities, but unless we know the details, we cannot begin to judge their actions.
I agree with you. They probably did not want the real identity of the spy to become public because it would put anyone he had contact with in other countries in danger by making them spying suspects. Keeping his identity secret probably save a number of lives of both other spies and civilians with no involvement in spying who just happened to have met the imprisoned spy at one point or another. Most countries take an extremely dim view of spies and even being suspect of spying, without any actual evidence, can lead to imprisonment or death. In most Arab countries, if a person is even suspected of being an Israeli spy their life is over. Once someone is accused they are beaten until they confess, even if they are not guilty of anything, and are then executed. It is easy for people to sit back and play armchair quarterback, criticizing Israel's actions. However, unless you have worked in the spy business you have no idea the real risks they take or what would happen even to innocent associates who you know if your identity and actions are ever revealed. Innocent people are assumed to be guilty by the mere fact that they are associated with a spy.
We just don't know enough about what happened here.
It could be a cover up for some serious abuse of power. What really happened here? Was he tortured? Was it a suicide or murder? Was he collaborating with a Palestinian resistance group and providing them with intelligence as a double agent? Or was he a guy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and they decided to silence him?
We don't know enough to answer these questions, but we shouldn't stop asking questions. As for what Israel does, being surrounded by enemies is no excuse for human rights violations and blatant aggression against Palestinians. Hamas is crazy too, but self defense doesn't explain everything that has happened over there.
"The district court did not confirm or deny ABC's unsourced findings that the dead man was 34-year-old Ben Zygier, an Australian who moved to Israel and may have been jailed in isolation over suspected misconduct while spying for Mossad."
I think Israel is ME.
What are the normal punishments in ME nations for misconducts?
Are secret service agents treated much differently for misconducts in other nations?
This whole incident has been blown out of proportions.
Yes countries do take a very very dim view of spies. The Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard should have been put up against a wall and shot. Instead every Israeli Prime Minister since then has asked the US President to release him. Of course they are our best allie
The reason why some captured spies are not "put up against a wall and shot" is that they can be used as valuable bargaining chips. Obviously, the reason why none of the prime-ministers who asked for
Pollard's will be released as soon as something worthwhile is offered to USA in return. Then both sides will be satisfied and the relationship between allies will be better then ever.
DM57
That goes for ALL SPIES right?
One thought comes to mind, that this tiny country in the midst of arab enemies still maintains its democratic values, they have liberal media and opposition groups who speak out without the fear of being beheaded.
If the latest story is confirmed that "prisoner x" may have been in a position to blow the cover on other undercover agents, then Israel has done what all other countries would do to maintain their security - US, Russia, UK, China, Iran, name it.
Democratic values? Really? Since when have ethnic cleansing and apartheid been a democratic value? It is a "Jewish" state after all, so all them damn A-Rabs are just a nuisance to be pushed out.
Patriot,
There is plenty of Arabs in Israel who have all the same right as the Jewish citizens. Your myths of ethnic cleansing and apartheid only reveal your idiocy.
I completely disagree with some of the Jewish extremist nuts (rabbis) competing with most of the Islamic clerics in insanity.
There have been very few sane Islamic clerics in the world.
Also I strongly oppose extremist Jewish lobby in the US and Netanyahus and their gangs doing the dirty jobs for Sunni Islamic religious Nazis invented, funded, and exported by the seventh century bigoted oil rich Sunni rulers of House of Saud, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait and other Sunni Arab League nations and rich sheikhs.
They played a dirty role before each Iraqi war and vanished from the scene.
Similar things are going on Syria and Iran. They are acting as agents of bigoted oil Sunni rulers.
Otherwise, most of the Israeli actions can't be condemned as the environment around them are most rotten.
I have yet to hear Jewish Rabbis encouraging or condoning the wearing and use of explosive laden vests in crowded shopping malls and buses. A lot of Imams do. Paradise, martyrdom, virgins, and all that stuff you know!
Sounds like even media outlets like Haaretz are puppets of the Israeli state, similar to how the New York Times colluded with the Bush administration to suppress the story about Bush's illegal spying on Americans until after the 2004 election had been decided.
Haaretz is the one who blew the whistle.
Haaretz is also sitting on what they really know just like the NY Times did, when they delayed publication of the illegal wiretapping scandal for a year.
farideh kashanian: The NBC story to which you have commented apparently without reading states the Zygier story was "broken by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)". The Haaretz stories, available online, state the same thing, that the story was broken by ABC, & they also acknowledge that Haaretz knuckled under to government censorship.
That still doesn't sound like a puppet thing to do.
Schroeder;
Of course I read the article but apparently missed your point. Sorry (:
How do they distinguish between suicide and died trying to escape? A flip of the coin or do they just alternate?
People who die trying to escape look nothing like those who commit suicide.
If you said that he was killed and then made look like it was a suicide, that would be feasible, but that would also require some kind of proof.
Jeez...why am I skeptical?
"Mossad is widely reputed to have stepped up its shadow war in recent years against Iran's nuclear program, Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas, suspected nuclear procurement by Syria and arms smuggling to Palestinians through Dubai, Sudan and Egypt."
If am also very skeptical and has become pessimist.
It is money and favors that determine the talks and actions.
How can Israel miss Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, fountainheads of Islamic extermism, and problems for Israel in particular?
Hamas is sustained by Sunni ruling groups and Iranian nuclear technology owes much to Pakis!
My thoughts: How many "prisoner X"s do we have have here in the states? And, how long before an elected official gets asked that question on tape?
Wow, this is huge improvement for Israel..
Its rare Israel admits people they murdered officially and/or unofficially..
Unofficially would be Palestinian women and children
official would be people like Rachel Corie..
That's because human shields don't qualify as murder to anyone but islamist fanatics and hypocrites.
Did you really just say that Eli? Who are these Isralies to capture the land which belong to Palestinean people and then label the same people terrorist. Why don't they go back to all those european countries they emigrated from.
It is called history, Shawn. Wars are fought and the losers forfeit territory. When the losers are the initiators, they look both inept and stupid. By the by - where were the territorial borders of Palestine?
As far as going back to their countries of origin: Have you purchased your ticket yet?
Yes Shawn, and the American Indians should go back to Asia, where they immigrated from.
You know Eli100 it is ignorant arrogant azzes like you that have totally changed my opinion about Israel. I am a 55 year old white guy that is in the top 10% of wage earners, not some wide eyed radical. As people like me change then Israel has problems. I know a young well educated AMERICAN of Palestinean decent who was treated horrible by Israeli security. He did nothing but had family in the wrong country. Kind of like how the Nazis went after half Jews or quarter Jews. If you are Israeli then take note, if you are just one more gutless Israeli with two passports so you always can escape then decide which country is yours. I am not pro arab, just pro american and the return on investment of the aid and support isn't equal. I am tired of hearing how Israel is our best allie. Since the state of Israel has existed there have been wars in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanastan, so how many Israeli troops died in those wars? Brits, French Australian, hell even Colombians were in Korea, those are our allies. They don't send spies to the US to spy on their "allie".
Great observation and accurate diagnosis.
He is like a chu-chu fly buzzling and pestering you whenever you express a view infavourable to the zionist rogue state or jewish course.
On the other hand you have to give him credit for his devotion and service to his master, and his refraining from name calling unlike his other zealous pro-zionist colleagues.
DM,
The "ignorant arrogant azzes like you" and the two wannabees who instantly jumped on your bandwagon are the reminder to me and the Jews worldwide exactly why we should always stand by Israel.
I don't know how much of what you are telling about yourself is true, but your claim that you changed mind about Israel is clearly bs. Your post practically screams that you haven't even heard of Israel until a few months ago.
You clearly don't know that US and Israel had not become allies until 70s, since you brought up Korea and Vietnam.
Since the 70, however, Israel offered to help in every war US ever fought, and US refused for image reasons, but had no problem using Israeli technology and intelligence. That's also something allies do.
About that tearful story you told: What exactly was done to that friend of yours? In order to remind us "how the Nazis went after half Jews or quarter Jews" he would've had to be put into a stove and friend extra-crispie. Somehow I doubt that's what happened.
MY favorite part of your post: " If you are Israeli then take note, if you are just one more gutless Israeli with two passports so you always can escape then decide which country is yours."
I actually do have two passports, neither of them is Israeli, but one of them is American, therefore USA is my country. If you don't like that, I'll put it right on top of my I-don't-give-dam list.
Something I have already learned about USA, but you don't seem to realize, is that a Jews gets just as much of a vote as a Christian and a citizen with dual citizenship gets as much of a vote as any redneck. I get just as much of a say in whom USA considers an ally as you do, and it so happens that majority of American agrees with me and not you.
If you don't like that, you are in the wrong country and should look for another one, may be Sikkie Lam can help you move to Iran or whichever Arab state he came form, or may be von Dorf will invite you to wherever he is rebuilding his reich.
Also, von Dorf, no matter how hard you refuse to believe it, the days when Jews had masters are long over, we now leave the slave-mentality to your bold-headed friends and all your new allies in the Arab states.
"His relatives have declined all comment on the case."
You do not need to wonder why.
Stasi, Savak, KGB, and now Mossad.
All marks of "civilized" societies.
You forgot the CIA... And the Office of Strategic Services in WWII did a bit of dirt as well - necessary dirt, but still dirt. The UK's SOE was downright ruthless at times... And the French SDECE loved their electricity... Especially on any OAS veteran - usally an ex para from the 1er REP - they could catch.
When you join such an organization, the contract you sign in joining said organization states you legally, lawfully, and voluntarily forfeit many of your individual rights. It is not nice, certainly not moral, and not right, but it is a fact of life. I pulled out my own army enlistment contract the other day and noticed they - the government - can still legally recall me - diabetes and all - if they wanted to.
from what was said in newspapers and on television in Israel and around the world
His family knew what was going on and why, they visited him regularly& he had top lawyers representig him in the legal proceedings against him like Avigdor Feldman who just loves to annoy the Israeli government if he has a chance, so if there was somthing wrong with the way he was treated Feldman would have gone public with the story looooong ago, gag or no gag.
His family is silent, even now because they know that everything is okay legally and especially what their son had done,
his parents held high positions in the Jewish community where they lived in Australia and resigned them after what happend, which is another sign of what their son did was probably very serious.
I'm sorry and feel bad for his family but l don't think the human rights of this person were violated.
I am not surprised with this happening. Governmental
organizations said honest and impartial have been doing all over the world
crimes under "good intent". This is against any democratic state,
ideology or good will of any kind. Excuses don’t give back life to people. Unfortunately
Israel is far more corrupt as it should be (all over time there is a new
scandal in papers) and obviously their institutions may follow. Therefore,
excess is always happening. What surprises me is that countries said honest,
with good values accept horrible excuses as true information. In so said third
class countries as in Latin America tyrannies, so said “suicides” always
happened to explain torture. An in these cases being innocent is a problem as
when you don’t have anything to say is an implicit way to understand you are hiding
something and excess always happen. There is no space in our modern world to
accept dummy excuses to unacceptable actions from anyone, any race or any color
of any kind at any time for any excuse at all. People need to start being
responsible and making others responsible.
I am not surprised with this happening. Governmental
organizations said honest and impartial have been doing all over the world
crimes under "good intent". This is against any democratic state,
ideology or good will of any kind. Excuses don’t give back life to people. Unfortunately
Israel is far more corrupt as it should be (all over time there is a new
scandal in papers) and obviously their institutions may follow. Therefore,
excess is always happening. What surprises me is that countries said honest,
with good values accept horrible excuses as true information. In so said third
class countries as in Latin America tyrannies, so said “suicides” always
happened to explain torture. An in these cases being innocent is a problem as
when you don’t have anything to say is an implicit way to understand you are hiding
something and excess always happen. There is no space in our modern world to
accept dummy excuses to unacceptable actions from anyone, any race or any color
of any kind at any time for any excuse at all. People need to start being
responsible and making others responsible.
When you involve yourself with monsters, you either become a monster yourself, or do the right thing and likely get killed by the monsters for your trouble.
Monsters? Melodramatic much?
".....islamist fanatics and hypocrites...."
Melodramatic much?
I stand by my statement that people who make false accusations out of prejudice are hypocrites and fanatics, while people who call anyone who serve a government they don't like (also out of prejudice) "monsters are just being melodramatic.
Israel knows how to handle security problems.
The US should learn.
Israel has long been mislabeled as a hate group of people.
They are not.
All they want is peace.
Something they probably never will get until they are all killed by religious Muslims.
I saw a documentary recently about the Mossad's assassination attempt on Khaled Meshaal in Jordan. The interview with the head of Mossad was enlightening.
If the person was becoming a threat to security, then best he be kept with them. Too bad about the ending but was probably there to begin with.
What did he learn that they did not want anyone to know. You don't lock up your own agents and try to keep it a secret for nothing. If you want to see a picture of him and know his real name and aliases just go to the Australian news sites.
The agent who died knew the true identity of an Israeli spy in a Jihadist country. The imprisonment spy was not trustworthy and would have disclosed his identity if he was free. He killed himself because he could not face being called a traitor.
Or did he just know something embarrassing about leadership. Maybe he was sacrificed so some leader's public persona wasn't damaged. We have no idea and neither do you. Now we need to trash his memory and reputation when you know nothing. You have no class and are just one more gutless wonder
I doubt there could possibly be anything israeli leadership will feel embarressed about..
Israel killed 1500 palestinians more than half women and children: Answer; We got to do what we need to do, our history etc etc...
UN recognized Palestine: Answer: All nations other than US israel and Banana republics are dumb and antisemite.
UN asked israel to withdraw from all settlements because they are illegal Answer: UN is dumb they do nothing (Forgetting the fact that it was UN who put them in palestine in the first place, so in a way UN was dumb to put israel in the map).
The only thing Israel can possibly be embarrased about is losing money to Nigerian scams..