Recently leaked 'spy cables' reveal the activities of a network of volunteers for
the Israeli Mossad in South Africa

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Al Jazeera in late February published a trove of "spy cables" it appears to have
procured from a South African (SA) intelligence source. A significant portion of
the documents refers to the Israeli Mossad's relationship with South African
intelligence (SSA) and its role in other African nations as well. The cables,
which relay current information about events in which SSA was directly involved,
are without doubt highly credible.

The Mossad builds a network of overseas assets, which both amass intelligence and
assist local espionage operations. These assets aren't the same as those used by
other intelligence agencies. They're not paid for their services. They're called
sayanim (volunteer aides) in Hebrew. Often they're local Jewish communal leaders
or businessmen who perform such roles out of a sense of devotion to Israel. In SA,
even members of the Board of Deputies, the highest governing body of the national
community, play this role.

"By means of detail [cell phone] billing it was determined that [agent's name
redacted] had regular contact with members of the South Africa Board of Deputies,"
the cables in the Al Jazeera report revealed.

"It is a known modus operandi of the Mossad to utilise the Jewish community around
the world ... in its intelligence activities. The contact between [agent] and
these members of the South Africa Jewish community can be an indication that the
Mossad utilised them in its covert collection activities."

In addition: "It was also established that [agent] had constant contact with the
South African Jewish Board of Deputies ... This body has a direct influence over
the Jewish community in South Africa, with strong emotional bonds with the State
of Israel."

Sayanim perform duties from the most mundane to the most strategic. They arrange
medical care, find housing, arrange logistics and finance operations. They are in
regular contact with their Mossad intermediary. They are also asked to keep their
ear to the ground and listen for any information that might assist the agent:

"Sayanim also collect technical data and all kinds of overt intelligence: a rumour
at a cocktail party, an item on the radio, paragraph in newspaper, and provide
leads for katsas [collection agents]," the report said.

"The idea is to have a pool of people available when needed who can provide
services but will keep quiet about them out of loyalty to the cause."

Though sayanim are upstanding regular members of their community, they carry on a
double-life intimately involved in Israeli spycraft. There are thousands, perhaps
tens of thousands of them around the world. The spy cable estimates in 1998 there
were 4,000 in the UK alone.

This co-optation of the local Jewish community sets an alarming precedent. In many
Diaspora societies, Jews are accused (often because of statements by Israeli
leaders themselves implicating them in Israeli policy) of dual loyalty, of having
stronger allegiance to Israel than their native country. In most cases, Jews
dismiss such claims as anti-Semitic propaganda. But with the exposure of the
Mossad's sayan culture, and turning local Jews into Israeli intelligence assets,
these charges rear their ugly heads once more. And this time with justification.

El Al as Mossad Cover
The SSA reveals it is fully aware of the role El Al plays as a major Israeli
intelligence asset. According to a SA TV documentary and the cables themselves:

"South Africa's spy agencies concurred ... that Israel uses its flag-carrier, El
Al, as cover for its intelligence agencies."

"[Israeli] spies conducted clandestine searches [at airports] on the belongings of
people they deemed suspect, in violation of SA law, which only authorises police,
armed forces or personnel hired by the transport ministry to carry out such
searches."

After an El Al security agent in 2007 became a whistleblower and informed SA TV
that El Al was essentially a front for Israeli intelligence, a major scandal
erupted. It

Source: https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/spy-cables-expose-mossad-south-africa-operations