Mossad’s Dubai Hit Poses More Questions

A British newspaper – the Daily Mail – claims to have received evidence from a “senior security service source” that the Israelis tipped off the British Government hours before their operatives struck in Dubai, killing senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in his hotel bedroom. The Foreign Office of course denies this, but then even if officials did know, they – in the immortal words of Mandy Rice Davies “would deny it, wouldn’t they”.

Mahmoud al- Mabhouh is alleged to have killed two Israeli soldiers twenty years ago, but more importantly is believed by the Israelis to have been the main conduit between Hamas and Iran.  Many in Israel – and outside – will not mourn the death of this man, and others will applaud the daredevil nature of the Mossad hit. There is of course nothing new in the manner in which Israel’s secret services mete out reprisals to enemies of the State, even if they do violate every rule and convention in the book.

What is different about the Dubai strike is that the Mossad operatives were all filmed on CCT television, many before and after they donned their disguises, but that also they travelled under stolen identities. Six British nationals had their identities stolen and false passports made up, and they are not best pleased, nor are the Irish and German Governments whose nationals were also subject to the same identity theft.

In fact the Irish Government is hopping made in comparison to the feeble, limp wristed response of the British Foreign Secretary.  It has taken him three days to say that he is “outraged”. But perhaps the Israeli Government – whose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would have been fully briefed throughout – simply aren’t bothered with upsetting friendly nations.  Dubai isn’t exactly a hostile nation either.

The problem comes when strictures are handed out to the rest of the World about the need to follow international law, and not engage in hostile acts. It would have been better to have snatched the Hamas leader and put him on trial, rather than assassinate him in cold blood

I wonder how the rest of the World might react to a similar hit carried out by operatives from the Palestinian authority, on say a Mossad agent and travelling on stolen passports? The problem for the West is that many in the Middle East believe that there is one law for Israel and another for them. And judging by the reaction to the latest Mossad hit, they are right.