A Minister in a Box Page 4

  - Are you nuts? Me? Under arrest? And why should they put me there instead of you?

  - If this is something you wanna experience, you will find out just how easy it would be to trade places with me. You have until Sunday to think about it.

  That Sunday, Assaf reported for duty at the prison, right after telling his parents he was going on holiday to Eilat for a few days. When he produced Dudi’s ID, the guard on duty didn’t even raise his head to look at him. He simply pushed a button and opened the iron door to let Assaf in. Then, wearing nothing but his briefs, Assaf proceeded to pass a short security check, had his few effects stored and was summarily led to a cell, which he shared with eight other inmates.

  Assaf spent the days in his cell talking to the other inmates, who were there on merely a daily basis, so rotation kept things interesting for him. Five days of incarceration later, he heard Dudi’s name on the PA system. Next, the guard on duty handed him Dudi’s ID back along with the rest of his personal effects, and off he went, free and clear, straight to Dudi’s embrace outside the prison.

  - Well? How’d it go?

  - Not that bad, actually, just like you said. Nevertheless, once was enough.

  A few days went by, and Assaf turned to Dudi and said as follows:

  - Now it’s your turn to replace me.

  - What do I have to do?

  - I told you I had enrolled in the IDF Junior Command Preparatory School in Haifa. One of the entry exams is a ten-mile run. I don’t think I am up for it, so I am asking you to run for me.

  - Why would they let me run as you?

  - Don’t worry, they don’t even ask for an ID. There are eight hundred and sixty candidates. Just show up and run at Tirat HaCarmel Beach, sign up in my name, and everything will be all right.

  Assaf was waiting for Dudi at the end of the run.

  - How did it go?

  - Don’t worry, you passed your exam. I was actually in first place the whole time, but I didn’t wanna stick out too much, so I moved to third place.

  *

  The two friends continued to meet daily, until the time came for Assaf to go to that army school. After graduation, he joined the Paratroopers Commando. He rushed over to the beach on one of his very first leaves to find Dudi.

  - So, Dudi, you’re in the Special Forces, too, right? What battalion?

  - None. I volunteered, but once they found out who I was, they wouldn’t hear of it. They made me do menial gardening and all sorts of other s*itty jobs at this camp nearby. They don’t know what kind of combat fighter they’ve lost.

  Assaf went on to officer training course, which he graduated with honors, after which he received his first command. Shortly thereafter, he was promoted to deputy company commander. Three months before his compulsory service was due to end, the brigade commander asked to see him.

  - You are on the fast track for command. As soon as you sign up as a career officer, you can have command of your own company. I do believe you’re going to be our youngest ever commander, the youngest in the entire history of the Paratroopers Commando.

  - Thank you, sir, but I don’t think I am going to stay on as a career officer. I am going to uni.

  Despite the surprised commander’s best attempts, Assaf remained adamant.

  As soon as he left the IDF, Assaf registered for a double major in economics and international relations at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He saw less and less of Dudi, and they became estranged.

  One morning, while hanging out with friends on the uni’s lawn, one of his fellow students told him he had heard Dudi was charged with murder and was in prison, awaiting trial.

  *

  Assaf was so dedicated that he graduated his first major in two academic years. As soon as got his diploma, he sent two identical letters, one to the Ministry of Defense, and the other to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

  Re: Employment in Your Department

  Sir,

  I, Assaf Shlomi, hereby apply for a post at the ministry.

  I served in a Special Forces unit and have recently earned my BA in International Relations. I am also studying economics and am considering a degree in law as well.

  I am confident my abilities would make an ample contribution to the ministry’s operations.

  I await your soonest reply.

  Yours faithfully,

  Assaf Shlomi

  Three weeks after sending both letters, Assaf received a white envelope without any markings, except for his name and address in handwriting. Inside was a typed reply:

  Attn. Assaf Shlomi

  Re: Meeting

  Dear Sir,

  You are hereby invited to a meeting at 14:00, 12 Peretz St., Apt. 3, Tel Aviv.

  Assaf showed up at the appointed time. The houses in that area were old, having been built back in the 1930s. The whole environment spoke of dereliction, and the front of the three-story house at No. 12 was no different. It was just as rundown, with the walls coming apart at the seams, exposing rusty iron beams. Over by the entrance, Assaf saw the mailboxes with handwritten names. The spot for apartment three was blank.

  As he climbed the first flight of stairs, he noticed that apartment one on the ground floor had a sign for a young couple. The first floor had two doors with the numbers 1 and 2, respectively. Nothing else. He rang the bell at No. 3. The door opened immediately, and he could see colorful floor tiles and high ceiling, so typical of those 1930’s buildings. The room on the right was empty. The tiny kitchen, also by the entrance, had no appliances whatsoever, so Assad surmised no one had been living there for quite some time. The other room was also empty, save for a simple wooden desk at the center, with two chairs on either side. The desk had a pitcher of water with two glasses. The elderly man sitting there rose to greet Assaf as he entered the room and shook his hand.

  - Kalman’s the name. Do sit down.

  Assaf was dumbfounded. As a graduate of foreign relations studies, he expected a post as aide to the Israeli Ambassador in Paris, at the very least, or the strategic advisor on international affairs to the minister of defense. The unfolding interview wasn’t to his liking.

  - Who are you, sir? What is this place?

  - We are meeting on account of your letter.

  Kalman’s face spoke of fatigue and an air of someone who’s seen it all before.

  - Patience. All will be revealed to you in due course.

  ‘Very well then, I’ll play along,’ Assaf thought to himself. Kalman spent an hour interrogating him primarily concerning general issues, asking very few personal questions. All throughout his inquiries, Kalman was the very picture of boredom and aloofness. At the end, he handed Assaf a four-page questionnaire to fill and mail back to an address he wrote for him on the back of the forms.

  Upon returning to his apartment, Assaf realized the forms covered numerous details, including his family, friends and three references. That bit was easy enough: he immediately filled in the name of his high school manager, his regiment commander, and a relative who was in charge of a high security factory.

  Another three weeks went by, and another envelope came in, summoning Assaf Shlomi to another meeting. This time, Kalman appeared more alert and engaged, asking more direct questions, this time. He was also raising personal stuff, straight out of the questionnaire forms. Then, he asked Assaf:

  - Is there any particular reason you did not mention Dudi Dayan in your list of friends?

  The cat nearly got Assaf’s tongue. He did consider filling Dudi’s name in. For one thing, they drifted apart almost entirely. Besides, adding Dudi’s name would garner Assaf no bonus points, to say the least.

  - Well, I could have told you there wasn’t any room on the form for any more friends’ names, and I did complete it in full. But truth be told, I did consider it, but ended up deciding not to include him, because I can’t
say for sure we are friends anymore.

  Assaf realized he misjudged Kalman. ‘I must remember no to be taken in by his standoffish and gloomy demeanor, especially seeing as on my last visit home, my mom pulled me away to the shed, where she told me the neighbor, Jochebed, had told her in strictest confidence that some men came by, saying they were from the ministry of defense, and asked all sorts of questions about our family.’

  - I also know you people know Dudi was found guilty of murder and is doing time, but that’s not why I omitted his name.

  - And what is your opinion of Dudi?

  - I think he’s quite a guy, a loyal friend. He did goofy stuff. I was sad to hear about his troubles, and I sure hope they’ll be over for him soon.

  Three weeks later, another white envelope. Kalman was much more pleasant at this new meeting, offering him water and pouring him.

  - I am glad to inform you that you have been accepted to work for the Mossad!

  Assaf was allowed no time to respond. ‘The Mossad of all places?! I never sought a position there?!’ He was familiar with Israel’s covert intelligence service of course. He took part in a several operations behind enemy lines, in Lebanon, and it was rumored some of the members of the force were Mossad. That was back during his military service. ‘I never imagined I’d be working for the Mossad!’

  - They’ll be calling you up in a few days. Good luck and all the best!

  Kalman left no doubt the meeting was over.

  Straight after that, Assaf went to Bat Yam, a beach town south of Tel Aviv. Its famed Cliff Beach was his favorite spot for quiet thought, whenever he needed to relax and concentrate. The white sands, yellow cliffs, and blue waters gave him the peace of mind and bold resolution he required. ‘Well, if life has led me to the Mossad, let it be. That must be the best thing for me.’

  He got in without a hitch. Having graduated basic Mossad training with honors, he was assigned to the operations department, where he excelled, shining brightly on each mission, however complex. He rose in the ranks very rapidly, securing a position as head section chief very quickly. His planned operations were imaginative as they were bold, resolute, focused and inspired.

  *

  In addition to his operational duties, Assaf placed himself at the disposal of the training department, making a point of appearing before each new class of recruits. His lectures soon became legendary, a large audience, before whom he outlined the organizational doctrine boiled down as follows:

  1.“For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war” (Proverbs 24:6).

  “Sophistication, originality, creativity and initiative are the basis for intelligence as a discipline, as a line of work,” Assaf explained to his class. He then further elaborated. “One day, one of our operatives in Amman sent information according to which an Islamic Jihad cell was poised to carry out a terrorist attack in Eilat. They were supposed to be driven over to Wadi Rum, spend the night there and reach Eilat on foot in the morning. Two days before their scheduled assault, a herd of sheep made camp at the wadi, along with three shepherds. When the terrorists arrived, one of them went over to check the shepherds out. He was satisfied they were benign, so he went back to his fellow cell members. That very night, those ‘shepherds’ rose up and eliminated the terrorists, thereby averting a major terrorist attack in Eilat.”

  He then proceeded to introduce another maxim:

  2. Hesitation shows wisdom - indecisiveness is weakness

  “A terrorist organization in some country in the southern part of Africa was planning to target a Jewish center,” Assaf recounted. “They prepared a car bomb and planned to detonate it inside the compound. We uncovered their plan in time and managed to trace the car’s hiding place. The next day, our team waited out on the street for the car’s drive that morning into the Jewish center. When they closed in, they saw, much to their surprise, the car had two additional passengers on top of those they already knew about: two women. Our team in the field didn’t know what to do. After hesitating for quite a bit, they finally decided not to intercept the car. Those two women got off after a few blocks and the car went on into that Jewish organization, where it blew up, causing lots of casualties. That right there is an example of wisely hesitating yet being woefully indecisive, with horrendous repercussions.”

  Assaf then went on to make further points and elaborated using anecdotes.

  3. Pity is a form of cruelty.

  “Obeying the law and observing human values are at the core of any intelligence operation. Nevertheless, an operative may find him or herself in a difficult spot, at times, and, as fate would have, those crises surface at the least convenient time. When they occur, rise above them, get over any emotions you may have, and stick to the mission at hand.”

  4. “When you have to shoot, shoot, don’t talk.”

  “This unforgettable line by Eli Wallach playing Tuco in The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, is chock-full of military insight of the very first order: if you decide on a particular action, do it. Any talk that is devoid of resolution and confidence is a sure sign of weakness, which is in turn a recipe for failure.”

  5. “In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15).

  “An intelligence campaign must be founded on silence and mystery. Whosoever has joined us for the sake of bolstering their ego had better look for a different job. We do not have fanfare, nor do we stage any grand spectacles. We are governed by silence. This also goes for your spouses as well as for your children. Good intelligence is based on the human element. Nothing new has come on the scene since Joshua sent two men to spy secretly, and they met Rahab of Jericho. The only difference is our use of the term ‘agents’. An agent cannot operate in another country without embracing this maxim of ‘in quietness’. Now, ‘confidence’ stands for the main characteristic of an operative: he or she is confident of their goal being righteous. Be confident that should anything happen to you, every friend you’ve got will do everything they can to save you.”

  6. “Flatter as little as possible and do not fear criticism.”

  “Compliments often miss their point. Being overly satisfied with yourself makes you less alert and therefore less motivated. Worthy criticism makes you want to be better, try harder and rectify those faults. The Mossad has no room for anyone who cannot take criticism.”

  7. “Thorough planning: beforehand; in-depth study: after”

  “These principles are the prerequisite for any successful operation. Proper, methodical planning ahead of any action constitutes about sixty percent of the entire mission. Investigating the operation as exhaustively as possible after it’s done prevents sixty percent of the problems in the next mission.”

  *

  Assaf Shlomi’s brilliant career in Operations was marred by only one affair. Generally referred to as “the Isfahan affair”, few have actually heard about it. The committee assigned to investigate what had happened consisted of the Mossad’s chief himself, his deputy and the legal counselor, who wrote up the meetings’ protocol by hand. When the committee concluded, they summoned Assaf to update him on their conclusions.

  - As you know, we spent days and nights on investigating this affair, and ultimately found you were not personally to blame for the failure. We examined the operation as a whole, went over each element and studied the intelligence at your disposal prior to the mission, along with the logistic infrastructure. We also realized what the objective difficulties that you’ve encountered were. So much for your personal responsibility. That said, we cannot ignore the fact that we lost three of our best agents. In addition, we lost a major source and our deterrence was undermined. Consequently, although you were not personally accountable, we nevertheless decided you shall no longer be involved in operational activity.

  - May I be allowed to say my piece?

  - You have that right, but you did say everything you had to say before the
committee. Case closed.

  After the committee dispersed, the Mossad’s chief asked Assaf to remain there.

  - I know how difficult that decision was for you, but you also know we had no choice. Nevertheless, we do not want to lose you. I consulted with my colleagues and can offer you to head our international division. It’s a new department we are about to establish. You may have forty-eight hours to mull it over and return here, to my office, to update me of your decision, Assaf.

  *

  - That’s it, Michal. I am out. They kicked me out of Operations. There’s nothing more for me to do there.

  - Don’t rush into any decision. They gave you forty-eight hours to decide. Take a breath. Go down to your beach, have a quiet think. Besides, it’s not all bad. Consider the silver lining: we have been considering a more peaceful life for quite some time now, and it’s also high time you get to know your kids.

  Long before those forty-eight hours were up Assaf walked back into the chief’s office, where he was always welcome, even on short notice.

  - I’ve decided to accept your offer.

  - I’m glad. Good luck to you.

  Assaf had the advantage of major budgets and top operatives, as well as the free hand to establish the new department and shape it as he saw fit. He invited delegates from the Ministry of Defense and the Foreign Office to the department’s first meeting.

  - We are not here to compete with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Rather, our job is intelligence gathering as a means to preserve Israel’s safety and security as well as undermine those who wish to harm us. Mossad operated covertly, and mostly in countries the Foreign Office cannot, things being what they are, operate in.

  In one fell swoop, Assaf was able to dispel years of animosity and rivalry between the Mossad and the other ministries, a hostility fueled by competition for turf, prestige and purview.

  Assaf regarded improving Mossad’s intelligence school and extending its international network of ties as paramount. Mossad’s reputation among intelligence organizations worldwide garnered a flurry of offers of cooperation, along with requests for allowing intelligence officers the world over to enroll in Mossad’s training programs. One conclusion from all this was that whosoever graduated the Mossad’s programs was sure to become a potential contact. There were more applicants than the Mossad could possibly accommodate. The admissions committee, headed by Assaf himself, comprised of delegates from the Mossad, the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defense.