Ex-Mossad chief: Hamas offered 30-year cease-fire in 1997

[Englander]

By Ze'ev Schiff, Haaretz Correspondent

A few days before the failed assassination attempt on Hamas leader Khaled Meshal in Jordan in 1997, King Hussein conveyed an offer from the Hamas leadership to reach an understanding on a cease-fire for 30 years. That offer, intended for then-prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and conveyed by a Mossad representative, reached Netanyahu only after the botched hit.

This is just one of the details about past incidents that former Mossad chief Efraim Halevy reveals in his book, "Man in the Shadows," coming out in Britain on April 4, and soon to be released in Hebrew by Matar Publishing. In the book, Halevy discloses previously unknown details about security affairs from Israel's past.

In September 1997, a Mossad squad tried to assassinate the leader of Hamas, Meshal, by drizzling poison in his ear. The attempt failed, two of the agents were captured and others found refuge in the Israeli embassy in Amman. Halevy recounts that King Hussein considered Israel's conduct a severe betrayal, made worse in view of the Hamas offer he had conveyed to Israel. Netanyahu called Halevy in to help calm Hussein, but the latter asked that Halevy not come to Amman, because he did not want a man whom he deemed a close friend to be involved in the nasty affair. Halevy set out nonetheless.

Relations with Amman deteriorated so badly that the king mulled demanding at a press conference that Israel turn in the Mossad agents who had fled to the embassy. If Israel did not turn them in, Hussein was seriously considering military action. Mossad discussed placating the king with various "gifts" for his army, such as night-vision equipment or upgrading some of his fighter planes.

Halevy thought otherwise. He suggested releasing Sheikh Ahmed Yassin from an Israeli prison and transfering him to Jordan, where King Hussein would then order him returned to the Gaza Strip. Opposition was fierce in the
intelligence agencies and the Israeli Defense Forces. Support for Halevy's idea came mostly from then-defense minister Yitzhak Mordechai, and it was ultimately approved by Netanyahu.

More at;
Haaretz

[rfkrfk]

1. yeah, I believe everything I read...n/t

[Karmakaze]

2. So what are you saying?

The ex-Mossad chief is lying to try and make Israel look bad and Hamas look good?

Seems a little far fetched to me...

[rfkrfk]

3. how do you know this?

would you sign a contract with some group?,
that ha s no legal standing.

Rule 109.
hear everything, believe nothing

[Karmakaze]

6. How do I know what? I asked you a question, I didnt make a statement...

The ex-Mossad chief made the statement, and you said you don't believe it. I was just wondering WHY you don't believe it? Any sane reason apart from, it makes Israel look bad?

Even if we discount the cease fire offer, can you not see that attempting to kill the Hamas leader in Jordan, while Jordan is trying to broker a peace deal, is kind of counter productive? Doesn't that seem a little like Israel didn't WANT a peace deal, and in the process made it even harder for future attempts at negotiating peace?

"Rule 109.
hear everything, believe nothing"

I wonder if that rule applies to Israeli proclamations?

[FOM]

4. Does it really make Israel look bad?

It only reached Netanyahu it says after a botched hit on a Hamas man, which probably killed the offer.

Given that at the time, Hamas was conducting a massive terror campaign designed to destroy the Oslo peace process, it would seem to have limited credibility as well.

Plus, he doesn't discuss the terms for their "truce". It doesn't mean anything.

[Karmakaze]

5. Except that the attempted assasination happened in Jordan

While Jordan was trying to negotiate in favour of the Israelis. Israel's policy of targetted assaination has more than once resulted in the deaths of innocent people, but in this case it may also have resulted in the death of the peace process.

Have you ever wondered why Hamas won't negotiate with Israel? Could it be because the last time they tried, Israel used it to attempt to kill their leader? If that was the recent history, would YOU want to sit down to negotiations with Israel, if you were Hamas?